2024 College World Series Odds & Picks: Friday (6/14)
The 2024 College World Series begins Friday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. First pitch for Game 1 between the North Carolina Tar Heels (47-14) and the Virginia Cavaliers (46-15) is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, and the baseball game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN. The first pitch for Game 2 between the Tennessee Volunteers (55-12) and the Florida State Seminoles (47-15) is set for 7 p.m. ET, and it can also be viewed or streamed on ESPN.
Let’s build that bankroll for the remainder of the 2024 College World Series with our best baseball bets for Friday, June 14. Here are our top 2024 College World Series picks and predictions for North Carolina vs. Virginia and Tennessee vs. Florida State.
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Friday’s 2024 College World Series Best Bets
College World Series odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All wagers are for 1 unit
Virginia Cavaliers (+102) at North Carolina Tar Heels (-130) | Total 12.5 (Over +100/Under -132)
The Virginia Cavaliers (46-15, 18-12 ACC) ran through the Regionals and Super Regionals with a perfect 5-0 record, and they seemed to get stronger as the intensity ratcheted up. On May 31, the Cavaliers hosted Penn at Davenport Field in Charlottesville, winning 4-2. They then posted a 5-4 win over Mississippi State on June 1. They then topped the Bulldogs 9-2 on June 2 in an elimination game to advance to the Super Regional.
In the Super Regionals, the Wahoos posted a pair of victories at Kansas State on June 7-8 to punch their ticket to Omaha. On June 7, the Cavaliers picked up a 7-4 win, erasing a 3-0 deficit with seven runs in innings five through seven. In the rematch, UVA posted a 10-4 win, rolling up big offensive totals in the late innings. They collected 22 total hits in the Super Regionals while plying 14 total runs, so this is a team with the kind of offense able to make noise.
The North Carolina Tar Heels (47-14, 22-8 ACC) had a little more difficult of a time in the Regionals. UNC had to come back to top Long Island in the opener on May 31, winning 11-8 after falling behind 3-1. They were trailing 3-2 in that game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning while allowing four runs in the top of the ninth to go back down 8-5. However, the Heels walked it off with a grand slam off the bat of 3B Gavin Gallaher, who finished with three hits and six RBI. UNC topped LSU 6-2 on June 1, but it was doubled up 8-4 in the rematch on June 2. However, in 10 innings, the Tar Heels eased by the Bayou Bengals 4-3 to make it into the Super Regionals.
In the Supers, UNC was again put to the rest, edging West Virginia 8-6 on Friday, June 7, and 2-1 on Saturday, June 8. As such, the Tar Heels are headed to Omaha for the 12th time in program history. OF Vance Honeycutt swatted homers in both Super Regional games and broke the single-season program record with 26 home runs. Right-handed pitcher Jason DeCaro allowed one run and two hits with two walks and four strikeouts to secure his sixth quality start of the season. He’ll be front and center in Omaha.
These teams met for three games at Davenport Field from April 4-6. Virginia rolled up a 14-11 victory on April 4 in a game that surprisingly saw Honeycutt go hitless in five at-bats with three strikeouts. Virginia freshman 1B Henry Ford set a program record with three homers while driving in six runs in that seesaw win. Virginia won 7-2 on April 5, too, before the Tar Heels picked up a high-scoring 12-7 win in the series finale with 1B Parks Harber collecting three hits, a double, a home run and four RBI.
If Virginia is going to pull off the mild upset, it will require a ton of offense. This isn’t a team capable of winning a pitcher’s duel. They have to outmuscle the other team. We saw a total of 53 runs in the three-game regular-season series in April. Virginia is a good bet to edge North Carolina for a mild upset on Friday. The Tar Heels struggled at times in the Regionals and Super Regionals. While they found a way almost every time, which builds character, it’s expected that the Heels will have to play in an elimination game on Sunday.
Bet: Virginia Cavaliers Moneyline (+102)
Florida State Seminoles (+140) at Tennessee Volunteers (-180) | Total 10.5 (Over -114/Under -114)
The Florida State Seminoles (47-15, 17-12 ACC) rolled through the Regionals and Super Regionals with a perfect 5-0 record. They topped Stetson 7-2 back on Friday, May 31, before sweeping a pair of games against UCF June 1-2. That included a 12-4 rout on Sunday, June 2, as OF Max Williams went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while 3B Cam Smith also had a homer, two walks and two RBI.
In the Super Regionals, FSU piled up the offense against an overmatched UConn team. On June 7, the Seminoles routed the Huskies 24-4, producing a season-high in runs. The 24 runs and 20-run margin of victory were the highest ever in the Super Regional round. Ironically, FSU also held the old records, notching a 19-run victory over Sam Houston State in 2017, while plating 23 runs in 2011 against Texas A&M.
The clinching game was a lot tighter, as UConn went ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. It was 7-6 in favor of the Huskies heading to the top of the eighth. It took until 12 innings before FSU could finally clinch a spot with a wild 10-8 win. The Seminoles have averaged 15.3 runs per game in the past three games, as they streak into Omaha.
The Tennessee Volunteers (55-12, 22-8 SEC) head to Omaha as the chalk to win the College World Series. It was a test to get to this point, however, losing in the first game of the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt before rattling off four straight victories over Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Vandy and LSU.
In the Regionals, the Vols posted a win over Northern Kentucky 9-3 and Indiana 12-6, before polishing off a ranked Southern Miss team 12-3 on June 2 to get to the Super Regionals. Against an unranked Evansville team, the Vols had a tough time in the first two games. The Vols won 11-6 in the first game before getting upended 10-8 in the second game. In the final game, the Vols fell behind 1-0, before rebounding to blow out the Purple Aces 12-1. It’s the third time in the past four years the Vols are in Omaha. Left-handed pitcher Zander Sechrist allowed just the single unearned run across a career-high 6 1/3 innings while recording six strikeouts. The Vols tied a program record with seven home runs, too, including two from DH Dalton Bargo and 2B Christian Moore.
The Volunteers are a little on the pricey side, but they’re the safest bet. This team has the pitching and the power. Look for Tennessee to grab the win in Game 2.
Bet: Tennessee Volunteers Moneyline (-180)
Two-Leg Parlay #1 Odds +214
Two-Leg Parlay #2 Odds +211
- Leg 1: Virginia-North Carolina Over 12.5 Total Runs (+100)
- Leg 2: Tennessee Volunteers Moneyline (-180)
If you’re building a Same-Game Parlay (SGP), let’s keep it simple, siding with Virginia as a slight underdog, while eating the chalk with tournament favorite Tennessee in the nightcap on the opening day of action from Omaha. Good luck with your plays.
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.