– Oregon State is a -200 moneyline favorite over Louisville in College Baseball World Series action on Friday.
– The Cardinals are one of three unranked teams remaining in the final eight.
– See the Louisville vs Oregon State odds, plus my picks and predictions below.
The College Baseball World Series begins on Friday, featuring unranked Louisville (38-21) against #8 Oregon State (47-14-1) in the day’s second game. Online sportsbooks favor the Beavers, though I believe these teams are more evenly matched than the odds indicate.
The first pitch is set for 7:00 pm ET at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, with coverage on ESPN and ESPN+.
Louisville vs Oregon State Odds
Oregon State is currently a -200 moneyline favorite, laying 1.5 runs on the spread at -105 odds. The Cardinals are +160 underdogs, with the total at 9.5.
Odds as of June 13 at bet365. Claim the bet365 bonus code to bet on the 2025 College World Series.
Louisville vs Oregon State Predictions
As of Thursday evening, only Cinderella Murray State has longer College World Series odds than Louisville. The Cardinals, yet to win a national championship, are making their eighth trip to Omaha and first since 2019.
Oregon State is also making its eighth trip, with three national championships from previous visits. They advanced from the losers bracket at Regionals and overcame an opening game loss at Super Regionals to reach this stage. They’ll look to avoid an early loss in this double-elimination format.
Louisville won all three Regional games, including a victory over #1 Vanderbilt. They then beat Miami in three games at Super Regionals to secure their MCWS berth.
The Cardinals match the Beavers’ firepower, having scored 66 more runs and collected 76 more hits in four fewer games, boasting a better batting average and slugging percentage.
LOU vs ORST Offensive Stats
The Cardinals excel both in power and average, with a significant edge in base running. They’ve successfully converted 155 of 175 stolen base attempts, aiding their run production. They should thrive on this front, as Beavers catchers have thrown out only 26% of base stealers so far.
On the mound, the matchup is even. Louisville’s ace Patrick Forbes has been stellar in the postseason, allowing just two hits and two runs against ETSU and pitching 5.2 innings of one-run ball versus the Hurricanes. Forbes is 13th nationally in strikeouts, averaging 14.6 K’s per 9 innings.
Oregon State’s Freshman Dax Whitney has been equally impressive, giving up only three runs in his last two starts, with 22 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Whitney is 14th nationally in K/9 rate, though he rarely pitches deep into games, failing to go beyond the 5th inning in six of his last nine outings, including against Florida State.
In their Super Regionals meeting with Florida State, Oregon State’s lineup was largely shut down in Games 1 and 2, only coming to life against lesser competition in Game 3. Against Forbes, a similar situation could arise.
Oregon State struggles with strikeouts, ranked 218th nationally and 232nd against righties like Forbes.
Louisville’s bullpen remains strong, yielding only five runs in six postseason games. The trio of Wyatt Danilowicz, Jake Schweitzer, and Brennyn Cutts have allowed just five hits and one earned run in 13.2 innings, striking out 15 batters.
Louisville vs Oregon State Picks
– Louisville Cardinals +1.5 (-125) at bet365
This matchup looks to be low-scoring, which is why I’m backing the Cardinals at +1.5. They can trouble the Beavers when getting on base, and their pitching could highlight Oregon State’s weaknesses. I’ll also place a small bet on Louisville’s moneyline at +160, anticipating a potential opening game loss for Oregon State.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com