The No. 3 Tennessee Vols (50-17) go head to head against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns (47-16) Tuesday night in their second game of the College World Series (CWS).
Sportsbook odds situate Tennessee as the underdog, but head coach Tony Vitello says these types of situations are where the Vols thrive.
Tennessee Vols vs. Texas Longhorns
After their disappointing 6-0 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday during the first round of the CWS, Tennessee now sits one loss away from elimination. While they were favored to win against Virginia, the Vols enter this next game as the 1.5-run underdog.
Texas boasts -125 odds of winning the game outright, while Tennessee trails behind at +105. If the Vols fail to win this game, offseason immediately begins. A win here, on the other hand, would cement them a place in the semifinals against either Mississippi State or Virginia.
- Bet & Get up to $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
- PLUS up to $1,000 Deposit Bonus
- PLUS $50 Bonus Bet on Deposit
- Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Vols | +1.5 (-170) | O 8.5 (-110) | +105 |
| Texas Longhorns | -1.5 (+150) | U 8.5 (-110) | -125 |
Since the Vols and the Longhorns have relatively no history between each other, making an informed analysis here would be a stretch. Individual season records, however, paint a picture of what both teams could be capable of in this faceoff.
In the thousands of games each team has played in their histories, the two colleges have played each other only two times – once in 2008, then again in 2012. Both of these matchups resulted in 5-4 victories for Tennessee.
The Longhorns lost 2-1 to Mississippi State this past Sunday, putting the team’s five-game winning streak to an abrupt stop. Texas struck out 21 times during the game, totaling a combined 32 strikeouts for the event and setting a new record for CWS events.
Tennessee boasts a 15-1 comeback record after losses this season. The Vols have experienced two straight losses only once this year – back in February during back-to-back games against Indiana State. The Vols have come back from a loss to win five consecutive games five different times in recent history. Tennessee also boasts one six-game win record. Now, the team will have to battle through a four-game elimination series for the CWS title.
College World Series team futures odds
Tennessee’s other home team, the Vanderbilt Commodores (40-15) suffered an upsetting loss of their own this past Monday, falling 1-0 to NC State. Not only did they break their seven-game national tournament win record, but they suffered their first shutout since March 2019, when they lost 7-0 to Texas A&M.
The Commodores face Stanford on Wednesday. A loss here will result in an elimination from the CWS. A win, however, will advance them to another bout against NC State this Friday.
Now that both the Vols and Vandy have lost, CWS winner odds have shifted drastically.
Last week, DraftKings gave Tennessee +400 odds of claiming the CWS title, while Vanderbilt had +200 odds. Vanderbilt now sits in fourth position at +450 – behind NC State, Mississippi State and Virginia. At +1000, the Vols now carry the sixth-best odds of winning, ahead of only Stanford.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| NC State | +200 |
| Mississippi State | +275 |
| Virginia | +425 |
| Vanderbilt | +450 |
| Texas | +1000 |
| Tennessee | +1000 |
| Stanford | +1100 |
DraftKings offers both individual game lines and team futures wagering, but this isn’t the case for any other Tennessee sportsbook. As of now, DraftKings is the only operator in the state taking action on NCAA baseball. TwinSpires and Action 24/7 both offered CWS futures lines last week, but they are now nowhere to be found.
There may be only one Tennessee sportsbook to choose from when putting action down on NCAA baseball. However, with odds so long, now might be the perfect time to snag the Vols as pick for CWS winner.
