The NCAA college baseball tournament starts today, and the action is already underway as I’m writing. I already identified several college baseball bets for today, but I’m back with another for this evening’s slate. Let’s turn to one of the final games — Illinois-Indiana State — for the best college baseball betting pick and prediction today. We’ll be using the college baseball odds at Caesars.
Hungry for more? You’ll find more college baseball picks on Twitter or Discord. You can also check out our sports betting tools or our sports betting promos, and I recommend reading my 2024 college baseball season preview or my college baseball power rankings.
College Baseball Odds, Pick & Prediction Today: Friday, May 31
College Baseball Odds, Pick & Prediction Today: Illinois-Indiana State
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana State Sycamores
ILL: +120 | ISU: -150
Game Time: 7 pm. ET
Where: Lexington, Ky.
Odds via Caesars
The Indiana State Sycamores were one game away from hosting a Regional. But then they lost to Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game, and now they’re the second seed in the Lexington Regional. Brutal outcome for a team that ranks 10th in the RPI.
The Sycamores are only a -150 (60%) at Caesars to win this game. That’s pretty inefficient — they’re trading at odds between -165 and -190 at every other book. The Illini are not just the road team in this spot, they’re also 49th in the RPI, well behind ISU, and are 4-10 in Quad 1 games. ISU is 4-6 in such contests.
We have the luxury of knowing tonight’s starters. The Illini will roll with RHP Jack Crowder, whose 7-2 record masks a 5.79 RA9 and 1.300 WHIP. The Illini have a 5.89 ERA as a team, which ranks 137th. They lean on their offense and its .926 OPS, which ranks 30th.
The Sycamores plan to start LHP Zach Davidson, whose 5-1 record is actually supported by a strong 2.92 RA9 and 0.898 WHIP. He recorded those numbers across 22 appearances, none of which were starts. He averages 2.1 innings pitched per outing, so he’s likely an opener.
Behind Davidson, ISU has a talented cast of arms, including three routine starters with sub-4 ERAs. Their 4.61 ERA as a team ranks 28th nationally. It’s unclear who will take the bump after Davidson exits, but it should be a pitcher who retains their advantage over Crowder.
It’s not like Indiana State is a pitching-dependent team, either. The Sycamores rank 29th nationally in team OPS (.929) and total home runs (101). Indiana State just does everything well. They have a better than 60% chance of starting the Lexington Regional with a victory.
College Baseball Pick Today for Illinois-Indiana State: Indiana State ML -150 at Caesars
OddsShopper’s College Baseball Tools & Tips
Looking for more college baseball predictions? OddsShopper’s experts are here to break down this college baseball season — make sure to check out the rest of our college baseball articles. Still need more advice? Subscribe to OddsShopper Premium for our market-based betting model’s picks and best bets across the wide world of sports.
