The 64-team NCAA baseball tournament kicks off Friday, with the 16 No. 1 seeds hosting double-elimination regionals.
The 16 teams that win their respective regionals will advance to the best-of-three super regionals. From there, eight teams will qualify for next month’s College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Tennessee received the No. 1 overall seed an enters the regionals as the co-favorites by BetRivers to win the national title at +500 along with Texas A&M. They are two of a record 11 SEC teams competing, including defending champion LSU.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES ODDS
Tennessee (+500)
Texas A&M (+500)
Arkansas (+650)
Kentucky (+1100)
Wake Forest (+1300)
Georgia (+1500)
LSU (+1600)
North Carolina (+1700)
Oregon State (+1800)
Clemson (+2000)
Duke (+2200)
Florida State (+2300)
Virginia (+3000)
The top three overall seeds and five of the top seven are from the SEC. The No. 1 Volunteers (50-11) and No. 3 Aggies (44-13) were joined by No. 2 Kentucky (40-14) and Texas A&M (44-13). Arkansas (43-14) and Georgia (39-15) were the fifth and seventh overall seeds.
The top 16 seeds will host a four-team regional, beginning Friday. Tennessee opens against Northern Kentucky, making its first-ever tournament appearance. The others heading to Knoxville, Tenn., are the regional’s second seed Southern Miss and third seed Indiana.
LSU is a No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional, hosted by North Carolina, the fourth overall seed. But the Tigers still enter the regionals with the seventh shortest title odds.
Also coming out of the SEC is Vanderbilt, which extended the nation’s longest active streak to 18 appearances. The Commodores are a No. 2 seed in the regional hosted by Clemson.
Per BetRivers, Texas A&M has been backed by the most total bets of all 64 to teams to win its regional as well as the money to go on to win the national title.
Most Bets By % of total CWS money:
1. Texas A&M to win NCAA Championship (+500) — 7.1%
2. Texas A&M to reach CWS in Omaha (-167) — 5.9%
3. Texas A&M to win College Station Regional (-286) — 4.7%
4. Virginia to win Charlottesville Regional (-130) — 4.6%
5. Georgia to reach CWS in Omaha (+110) — 3.2%
Most Bets By % of total CWS tickets:
1. Texas A&M to win College Station Regional (-286) — 6.2%
2. Duke to win Norman Regional (-130) — 5.6%
3. Mississippi State to win Charlottesville Regional (+125) — 5.5%
4. Georgia to win Athens Regional (-195) — 5.2%
5. Texas A&M to win NCAA Championship (+500) — 3.9%
FIRST-ROUND GAMES
–Athens Regional: No. 1 Georgia (39-15) vs. No. 4 Army West Point (31-21); No. 2 UNCW (39-19) vs. No. 3 Georgia Tech (31-23)
–Bryan-College Station Regional: No. 1 Texas A&M (44-13) vs. No. 4 Grambling (26-26); No. 2 Louisiana (40-18) vs. No. 3 Texas (35-22)
–Chapel Hill Regional: No. 2 LSU (40-21) vs. No. 3 Wofford (41-18); No. 1 North Carolina (42-13) vs. No. 4 LIU (33-23)
–Charlottesville Regional: No. 1 Virginia (41-15) vs. No. 4 Penn (24-23); No. 2 Mississippi St. (38-21) vs. No. 3 St. John’s (37-16-1)
–Clemson Regional: No. 2 Vanderbilt (38-21) vs. No. 3 Coastal Carolina (34-23); No. 1 Clemson (41-14) vs. No. 4 High Point (34-25)
–Corvallis Regional: No. 2 UC Irvine (43-12) vs. No. 3 Nicholls (38-20); No. 1 Oregon St. (42-14) vs. No. 4 Tulane (35-24)
–Fayetteville Regional: No. 1 Arkansas (43-14) vs. No. 4 Southeast Mo. St. (34-25); No. 2 Louisiana Tech (45-17) vs. No. 3 Kansas St. (32-24)
–Greenville Regional: No. 1 East Carolina (43-15) vs. No. 4 Evansville (35-23); No. 2 Wake Forest (38-20) vs. No. 3 VCU (37-21)
–Knoxville Regional: No. 2 Southern Miss (41-18) vs. No. 3 Indiana (32-24-1); No. 1 Tennessee (50-11) vs. No. 4 Northern Ky. (35-22)
–Lexington Regional: No. 1 Kentucky (40-14) vs. No. 4 Western Mich. (32-21); No. 2 Indiana St. (42-13) vs. No. 3 Illinois (34-19)
–Norman Regional: No. 1 Oklahoma (37-19) vs. No. 4 Oral Roberts (27-30-1); No. 2 Duke (39-18) vs. No. 3 UConn (32-23)
–Raleigh Regional: No. 2 South Carolina (36-23) vs. No. 3 James Madison (34-23); No. 1 NC State (33-20) vs. No. 4 Bryant (36-19)
–Santa Barbara Regional: No. 2 San Diego (40-13) vs. No. 3 Oregon (37-18); No. 1 UC Santa Barbara (42-12) vs. No. 4 Fresno St. (33-27)
–Stillwater Regional: No. 2 Nebraska (39-20) vs. No. 3 Florida (28-27); No. 1 Oklahoma St. (40-17) vs. No. 4 Niagara (38-15)
–Tallahassee Regional: No. 1 Florida St. (42-15) vs. No. 4 Stetson (40-20); No. 2 Alabama (33-22) vs. No. 3 UCF (35-19)
–Tucson Regional: No. 2 Dallas Baptist (44-13) vs. No. 3 West Virginia (33-22); No. 1 Arizona (36-21) vs. No. 4 Grand Canyon (34-23)
–Field Level Media