"The Greatest Show on Dirt" is living up to the hype, as each game of the 2023 Men's College World Series has been a drama-filled, nine-inning nail-biter. Tuesday's pair of elimination games figures to be no different, as TCU (-160) looks to avenge a ninth-inning blown lead in a rematch against Oral Roberts, and Tennessee (-120) attempts to deliver the knock-out punch against SEC foe LSU.
For those interested in wagering on Tuesday's CWS action, we've broken down each matchup and offered our best bets via BetMGM's odds.
MORE CWS: Full schedule
TCU vs. Oral Roberts odds, best bet
- Run line: TCU -1.5 (-110) | Oral Roberts +1.5 (-120)
- Total: OVER 11.5 (-125) | UNDER 11.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: TCU -160 | Oral Roberts +120
TCU and Oral Roberts meet for a second time after ORU rallied from a 5-2 late-inning deficit, securing a 6-5 win in the CWS opener. As it was on Friday afternoon, TCU is again priced as the favorite, but the betting market might be giving the Horned Frogs a bit too much respect, with TCU sitting as -160 favorites (implied win probability: 61.54 percent).
Today's pitching matchup likely features Cam Brown of TCU (3-2, 5.50 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) going against Brooks Fowler of Oral Roberts (9-1, 3.27 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), two No. 3 starters who have the chance to neutralize themselves on the bump. While both starters likely won't pitch deep into the game, both bullpens are relatively fresh, setting this one up as another game that will be decided in the late innings.
While he had some trouble in the eighth inning on Friday, ORU righty Cade Denton is one of the best relievers in the country, sporting a 1.95 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP and striking out 12 batters per nine innings. We trust him to limit TCU's offensive output in high-leverage spots.
In a game that projects closer to a coin-flip rather than a 60-40 game as the current odds indicate, we'll back ORU on the run line (+1.5, -120) to keep things close and potentially win outright.
Best bet: Oral Roberts +1.5 (-120)
LSU vs. Tennessee odds, best bet
- Run line: Tennessee -1.5 (+155) | LSU +1.5 (-200)
- Total: OVER 11.5 (-120) | UNDER 11.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Tennessee -120 | LSU -110
After a gut-wrenching 3-2 loss to Wake Forest on Monday night, LSU aims to stave off elimination against Tennessee. Tennessee kept its National Title hopes alive following a 6-4 win over Stanford on Monday, erasing a four-run deficit thanks to an all-time relief effort from righthander Chase Burns.
While the Tigers advanced into the winner's bracket following a 6-3 win over the Volunteers on Saturday night, they won't have the luxury of relying on Dick Howser award winner Paul Skenes this time around.
In that game, the Tigers closed north of two-dollar favorites with Skenes toeing the rubber, but they now see themselves as slight -110 underdogs with their season on the line. LSU is pegged as a slight underdog because Jay Johnson's crew is rolling with a bullpen game, relying on a handful of relievers to get 27 outs.
On the other hand, Tennessee will lean on their No. 3 starter, Drew Beam (9-4, 3.78 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), a reliable third starter who gives Tennessee the perceived advantage in the pitching department.
Rather than picking a side in this projected coin-flip, we'll look toward the total and bet on a high-scoring, offensive-centric contest. Although Charles Schwab Field isn't the hitters' paradise Alex Box Stadium is, there's a chance tonight's game follows a similar path to LSU and Tennessee's matchup on April 1.
That day, LSU employed a bullpen game while Beam started for Tennessee. Both teams combined for 21 runs on 32 hits, with Tennessee notching a 14-7 win. We probably won't see 30-plus hits tonight, but two offenses that rank within the top 17 in slugging can generate enough offense to go OVER the current total of 11.5.
Best bet: OVER 11.5 (-120)