College Baseball Preview

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Developing Stories 📰

It's the start of College Baseball Opening Day, and every team is aiming to clinch victory in its league, secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and, perhaps, reach the pinnacle in Omaha for the College World Series. According to the polls, Wake Forest Baseball stands as the favored contender to take it all. The addition of Chase Burns, a standout pitcher from Tennessee Baseball last year, to the Wake staff alongside Michael Massey and Josh Hartle, provides a solid foundation. With Nick Kurtz returning at first base and the transfer of Seaver King, a Division II standout in 2023, Winston-Salem's prospects look promising.

Last year, LSU exceeded preseason expectations, but the unexpected rise of Paul Skenes, an Air Force transfer, turned him into one of the best college pitchers ever. Now, Michigan Baseball has the opportunity to emerge as a significant winner. Despite being unranked and predicted to finish sixth in the Big Ten, the Wolverines face a challenging schedule in the College Baseball Showdown, playing against three ranked teams: Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Arkansas. Coach Tracy Smith, in his second year after Erik Bakich's departure for Clemson, has Dylan Vigue, a promising talent named to the All-Big Ten preseason team. Vigue, draft-eligible in 2025, is expected to bolster the Michigan rotation, presenting a chance for improvement, even if they face a tough schedule.

In the SEC, Arkansas Baseball is favored to win the league, competing against formidable opponents like LSU and Florida. The SEC, with eight ranked teams, has dominated national championships since 2019, winning nine since 2009. While the competition is fierce, Arkansas, coached to win the league, boasts a strong lineup, including a top freshman class and key returning players, positioning them as contenders. However, Florida Baseball is predicted to triumph in the SEC Tournament.

The Big 12 faces significant changes with Texas and Oklahoma departing, and Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado (sans a baseball team) joining. TCU Baseball leads as the preseason favorite, closely followed by Texas. Despite Texas Tech losing transfers to Arkansas, they remain a formidable force in the league, especially with Keith Bazzel standing out as one of the nation's best hitters. The true test of these predictions will unfold after Opening Day when the Red Raiders take on Tennessee at the College Baseball Classic.

College Baseball Futures:

Arkansas +900 (.5U)

Florida +900( .5U)

TCU +1800 (.5U)

East Carolina +5000 (.2U)

Coastal Carolina +9000 (.1U)

Northeastern +20000 (.1U)

Michigan +30000 (.1U)

Headlines 🚨

On This Day in Sport history: Wilt Chamberlain becomes first player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points,

1989 Red Sox Pitcher Roger Clemens signs $7.5m 3-year contract,

1992 LA Lakers retire Magic Johnson #32 uniform.

The Seattle Seahawks QB, Geno Smith to collect $12.7 million on his contract that will become fully guaranteed Friday.

Tiger Woods deals with back spasms in return to Genesis Open, shoots 1 over par.

Klay Thompson sent to the bench for the first time since 2012, scores 35 points in thrilling win over the Jazz.

LSU, RB, Trey Holly was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder after a shooting that injured two people.

Rob Manfred will retire as MLB commissioner in January 2029 after 14 years.

Kylian Mbappe has let PSG know he will be leaving after the season.

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Weekend Picks 🔒

Tennis

Nicolas Jarry +115 | Jarry has won two tournaments on clay over the past year with a record of 21-7. He wins 85.1% of service games on clay and 22.5% of return games while recording a 39.8% of break points (64 of 161).

CBB

Cornell -8.5 | Cornell won the matchup earlier this season 89-76 while holding Harvard to 26% 3-point shots. Harvard is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games while Cornell is 6-3 ATS.

(2/17)UCONN -8 | The Huskies have the top 3-point defense in the Big East and it will be difficult for Marquette to stay in this game without hitting the big shots.

NBA

(2/22) Detroit/Indiana Under 247.5 | Line is too high here. The under has a projected probability of 58.9%.

NHL

Arizona Coyotes +1.5 | The Coyotes have a winning record against the puck line at 28-24. The Hurricanes are about to have a B2B and, they will have to make an interesting decision at goalie with two out with injuries. We want Spencer Martin here, but it’s ok either way.