Vanderbilt Favored Against Mississippi State In Final CWS Matchup

Posted on June 30, 2021

The third and final game of the College World Series finals gets underway today as the Vanderbilt Commodores (49-17) face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (49-18) in a winner-take-all showdown.

Tennessee sportsbooks expect Vandy to defend its title and walk away NCAA baseball kings once again.

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Game 2 upset forces winner-take-all Game 3 faceoff

Vandy maneuvered into the finals last week after NC State forfeited its place in the series when eight players tested positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19.

After that, the Commodores set out with something to prove, blasting full speed out of the gate Monday during Game 1. The defending champs pulled away with an 8-2 victory and sauntered into Game 2 only one win away from being re-crowned the top team in college baseball.

That game plan quickly crumbled Tuesday after a few innings of competition. The Bulldogs came back biting in Game 2, advancing four runs in the third inning and ultimately ending the game with a 13-2 win. Vanderbilt’s pitchers permitted 10 total walks, allowing the Bulldogs to load the bases and snag such an impressive upset.

Tonight’s third game of the series will force a decision in the matter. By the end of the night, college baseball will crown a new national champion.

After an easy win on Tuesday night, star Mississippi State pitcher Will Bednar and reliever Landon Sims are rested up and ready to unleash their arms on the Vandy boys.

Vanderbilt has a cannon of its own in store, however, in the way of Kumar Rocker. Rocker received the CWS Most Outstanding Player award in 2019 and enters this game after four days of rest.

The Bulldogs will be fighting for their first-ever championship win. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, looks to claim its third national title since 2014.

Game 3 College World Series odds

Tonight’s game features an over/under of 7.5 runs. Judging by the past two games, which averaged 12.5 runs per game, the total could hit here.

Sportsbooks favor Vanderbilt in this Game 3 matchup, though they don’t expect them to win by more than one run. DraftKings Tennessee gives Vandy -125 odds of besting the Bulldogs and walking away with the conclusive win tonight.

Run LineTotalMoneyline
Vanderbilt-1.5 (+155)O 7.5 (-115)-125
Mississippi State+1.5 (-180)U 7.5 (-105)+105

Those who didn’t make the trek to Omaha to catch the final game in person can tune into ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.

Photo by Associated Press
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Alec Cunningham

As a college athlete, Alec Cunningham played Division II golf at Tusculum University. She graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Professional Writing. She then returned to her love of written word in 2000 after working in the music industry as a concert promoter, tour manager and artist developer. As a journalist, she's covered a variety of topics and currently specializes in Tennessee online sports betting and Virginia casino news. She served as a panelist at this year's All American Sports Betting Summit, discussing the ever-evolving role of women in the gambling industry.

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