The college baseball regular season has concluded. With the College World Series just a few weeks away, we still have conference tournaments to worry about as the postseason gets underway. Which teams are heading into this week (tournament play begins on Tuesday!) in good form, and which aren’t? Let’s dive into the 2024 College World Series odds (powered by DraftKings Sportsbook) as I provide my college baseball power rankings.
College World Series odds and baseball power rankings last updated on May 20, 2024.
2024 College World Series Odds & Power Rankings
College Baseball: 2024 College World Series Odds & Power Rankings
2024 College World Series Odds
| College | Odds 5/13 | Odds 5/20 |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | +750 | +550 📈 |
| Texas A&M | +500 | +600 📉 |
| Arkansas | +600 | +700 📉 |
| Wake Forest | +1400 | +1000 📈 |
| Oregon State | +1500 | +1100 📈 |
| Kentucky | +2000 | +1200 📈 |
| Clemson | +1200 | +1300 |
| North Carolina | +2200 | +1500 📈 |
| Florida State | +1500 | +1800 📉 |
| Duke | +1500 | +1800 📉 |
| East Carolina | +2000 | +2000 |
| Georgia | +3000 | +2500 📈 |
| Virginia | +3000 | +3000 |
| Vanderbilt | +3000 | +3500 📉 |
| LSU | +2500 | +4000 📉 |
| Alabama | +3500 | +4000 📉 |
| South Carolina | +4500 | +4000 |
| Mississippi State | +5000 | +4500 |
| North Carolina State | N/A | +4500 |
| DBU | +5000 | +5000 |
| Virginia Tech | +5000 | +5000 |
| Oklahoma | N/A | +5000 |
College Baseball Power Rankings
No. 1 Texas A&M: +600 at DraftKings
Yes, the Tennessee Volunteers had a great weekend, sweeping South Carolina and locking up the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament. I’m still ranking the Texas A&M Aggies first overall in my college baseball power rankings.
Unlike the Vols, the Aggies didn’t have a layup opponent — they took on the Arkansas Razorbacks. They beat them in extras of Game 1, handing the Hogs their first loss of the season with Hagen Smith on the mound, dropped Game 2 then run ruled them in Game 3. They still ended the weekend at No. 1 in the RPI.
Texas A&M’s issue has been inconsistent pitching behind ace Ryan Prager, and the Aggies are entering the SEC tournament as a No. 4 seed. That sets them up with an early matchup against the No. 1 seed Vols (if both teams win their first games.
With the Aggies ranked seventh in OPS (.996) and sixth in ERA (3.96), slightly behind the Vols, who rank third in both (1.035 and 3.71), that contest could play a huge role in determining tournament seeding.
No. 2 Tennessee: +550 at DraftKings
The Vols took over the top spot on the odds board this weekend, and while I believe their ceiling is slightly lower than the Aggies’ they certainly deserved to pass Arkansas. They were No. 2 over the Hogs in last week’s rankings despite having longer odds to win it all.
As mentioned above, the Vols are a balanced team and rank third in both overall OPS and ERA. They have five starting batters with an OPS of 1.1 or higher, led by Christan Moore (1.262). Their best pitcher has been Saturday starter Drew Beam (3.59 ERA), and they’ve got a quality bullpen behind him.
Tennessee’s depth sets them up well for a tournament run. The Vols’ 14-8 record in Quad 1 games is also impressive and demonstrates that they can rise to the challenge in big moments. Still, they’re only No. 5 in the RPI and rank 32nd in strength of schedule (SOS), making them the only top-5 team with a SOS ranked below 20th.
It’s possible they have such great regular-season numbers because of their softer regular-season opponents.
No. 3 Kentucky: +1200 at DraftKings
I have mixed feelings about promoting Kentucky to No. 3 on this list, largely because they don’t rank well in either team OPS or team ERA. They are 42nd in the former metric (.919) and 64th in the latter (5.06). However, they rank ninth in strength of schedule and are No. 3 in the RPI due to a dominant 19-6 (.760) Quad 1 record.
The Wildcats scored a 2-1 home series win over the Vanderbilt Commodores this weekend, which helped them lock up the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament. That sets them up for an opening matchup against either Georgia or LSU.
Kentucky has just one batter with an OPS over 1.1 (Ryan Waldschmidt) and only two more above 1. Of the five pitchers with multiple starts this season, only Trey Pooser has an ERA below five. I can’t tell if their success stems from good luck in big games or if their numbers are depressed by a tough schedule.
If the Cats get exposed in tournament play, expect them to drop out of my top five. However, if they can keep their dominant Quad 1 record alive, they should enter regions as the top seed.
No. 4 Arkansas: +700 at DraftKings
The Arkansas Razorbacks got exposed this weekend. Sure, they did pick up a game on the road against Texas A&M, but they plated just 10 runs all weekend. Yes, having the second-best team ERA (3.57) is great, but it doesn’t mean that much when you rank 149th in team OPS (.825).
Unlike the three teams above them on this list, no individual Arkansas player — starter or reserve — has an OPS above 1. Peyton Stovall (.952) leads in the metric. That would rank fourth among Kentucky’s starters last weekend, sixth among Tennessee’s and seventh among A&M’s. You just need too much from your pitching staff to overcome that.
There is an argument to rank the Hogs lower than No. 4 due to their dismal offensive production, but if any pitching staff can make up for an inability to score, it’s Arkansas’: the Hogs are No. 2 in the RPI with the 13th-toughest strength of schedule and a 12-11 record in Quad 1 games.
No. 5 North Carolina: +1500 at DraftKings
The North Carolina Tar Heels jump from No. 9 last week to No. 5 this week after a 2-1 series win over Duke. North Carolina’s Quad 1 record improved from 6-7 to 8-8 in the process, moving them to No. 4 in the RPI and giving them the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament. That’s a bit less advantageous than one may hope, however, as it puts them in the same group as Wake Forest, but advancing over Wake would give the Tar Heels even more cachet in the RPI.
As far as team stats go, UNC clocks in at 14th in OPS (.960) and 15th in ERA (4.23). That’s good for fourth and first in the conference, respectively. The Tar Heels have four starting batters with an OPS above 1. They also have three reliable impressive weekend starters in Jason DeCaro (3.93), and Shea Sprague (4.03) and Aidan Haugh (4.12), depth that should translate well in a tournament format.
I have North Carolina as my top ACC squad despite Wake Forest (+1000) trading at shorter odds. While Wake has played a tougher schedule (they’re sixth in SOS compared to 14th-ranked North Carolina), they’re also 7-13 in Quad 1 games after this weekend’s road series collapse against NC State. Their 13-game winning streak came to a brutal end, and they’ll now have to find some momentum against this UNC team in the conference tournament.
Nos. 6-10: The Best of the Rest | 2024 College Baseball Odds & Power Rankings
No. 6 Clemson: +1300 at DraftKings
The Clemson Tigers bounced back from their road sweep at Clemson with a home sweep of Boston College. The Tigers now rank No. 6 in the RPI and have a much easier path to the ACC championship with Louisville and Miami in their group.
No. 7 Wake Forest: +1500 at DraftKings
So much for momentum. After sweeping Clemson last week, Wake was swept by NC State, dropping to No. 11 in the RPI. The Deacs have just been too top-heavy, leaning on Nick Kurtz (1.322 OPS) offensively and Chase Burns (2.63 ERA) on the mound.
No. 8 Oregon State: +1100 at DraftKings
Even though Oregon State’s odds improved from +1500 last Monday to +1100 today, most of that movement occurred before their 2-1 series win over Arizona. Like Wake, the Beavers lean heavily on a few guys (looking at you and your 1.550 OPS, Travis Bazzana); unlike Wake, they’re 61st by SOS and 14th in the RPI.
No. 9 Georgia: +2500 at DraftKings
Georgia’s odds improved from +3000 to +2500 despite a 1-2 series loss to Florida. While the Bulldogs rank second in team OPS (1.044), largely thanks to Charlie Condon (1.630) and Corey Collins (1.390), they are a dismal 105th by ERA (5.64). Still, they’re No. 6 in the RPI with an 11-11 record in Quad 1 games. If they can beat both LSU and Kentucky in the SEC tournament, their stock could rise meaningfully.
No. 10 Florida State: +1800 at DraftKings
Florida State’s odds moved from +1500 to +1800 this weekend after a 2-1 series win over Georgia Tech. The Seminoles rank 13th in team OPS (.963) and 37th in team ERA (4.71). They are also No. 8 in the RPI with a 7-7 record in Quad 1 games. They’re in a bit of an awkward spot as the fifth seed in their conference tournament, so neither of their opponents (Virginia and Georgia Tech) are that bad, which means a good tournament performance likely shortens their odds considerably.
OddsShopper’s College Baseball Tools & Tips
Looking for more college baseball predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down this college baseball season — make sure to check out the rest of our college baseball articles. Still need more advice? Subscribe to OddsShopper Premium for our market-based betting model’s picks and best bets across the wide world of sports.
