Two teams that have long been seen as the frontrunners to win the college baseball National Championship meet with one on the brink of elimination.
After losing to Wake Forest 3-2 on Monday, the Tigers staved off elimination to face the Demon Deacons again in hopes of its extending its season. The team will hope to have the nation's best pitcher in Paul Skenes on short rest and upset Wake Forest.
Here are the odds for the pivotal matchup from Omaha, Nebraska.
Wake Forest vs. LSU odds, run line and total
Wake Forest vs. LSU prediction and pick
This bet hinges on Skenes pitching on short rest, which is likely given that the Tigers are up against elimination on Wednesday night. However, it's worth waiting for confirmation that he's in against Wake Forest's loaded lineup.
If it's Skenes, the Bayou Bengals get the best pitcher at this level who has pitched to a 1.77 ERA this season. The team will also send out an offense that is top five in slugging percentage and on-base percentage against likely Wake Forest starter Reed Mascolo.
Mascolo has a 3.99 ERA on the year but will lean on arguably the best bullpen in college baseball, anchored by Sean Sullivan and Camden Minacci, who each have a sub-3.00 ERA.
The Demon Deacons haven't been at its best in Omaha, needing to rally late to win both games against Stanford and LSU, scoring only six runs across two games. The team may fall behind yet again against LSU with Mascolo on the mound, and if its Skenes, I don't expect the Tigers to relent and squander this lead.
The Tigers have faced elite pitching by seeing Tennessee twice, scoring a combined 11 runs across two games. The team extends its season and beats Wake Forest with (hopefully) Skenes on the mound.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
