College World Series Odds, Picks, Format & Schedule for 2023

The scene is set! 64 college baseball teams made the postseason two weeks ago, and now just eight teams remain. The College World Series (CWS) features two four-team, double-elimination brackets. The winner of each bracket plays in a best two out of three finals.

None of the past few champions made it to Omaha, so we will see a new team hoist the championship trophy in a couple of weeks. Here are the latest odds on who that team might be.

2023 College World Series Odds

Wake Forest, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, has the shortest odds. The Demon Deacons are followed closely by LSU, Florida, and Virginia, while Tennessee, TCU, Stanford, and Oral Roberts provide bettors with some potential value.

Four of the last five College World Series champions have been from the SEC, and three teams from that conference are in this year’s field. LSU, Florida, and Tennessee are all listed in the top five.

Odds as of June 13th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim a DraftKings promo code to bet on the College World Series. 

College World Series Schedule

This tournament runs for two weeks and is played at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The entire schedule has been released.

Friday, June 16

Saturday, June 17

Sunday, June 18

Monday, June 19

Tuesday, June 20

Wednesday, June 21

Thursday, June 22

Saturday, June 24: CWS Final Game 1

Sunday, June 25: CWS Final Game 2

Monday, June 27: CWS Final Game 3 if necessary

Beware of the Favorites

Many future markets offer bettors great value, and the College World Series is no different. The past two champions were at least +700 to win it all. In 2021, Mississippi State was +850 to win the tournament, and in 2022, Ole Miss was +700 before the CWS.

Wake Forest, the No. 1 overall seed and the favorite to win it this year, has the best odds. Bettors should beware putting their money on the Demon Deacons because of the curse of the 1 seed. A No. 1 overall seed has not won the College World Series since 1999. Many one-seeds fail to even make it to Omaha. For example, Tennessee last year went 57-9 and lost to Notre Dame in the Super Regionals. Wake Forest has looked every bit like a No. 1 seed with their combination of pitching and hitting, but history is not on their side.

LSU entered the season as the No. 1 team in the country. They suffered through some injuries, but appear to be back to their early-season form. The Tigers swept their regional and super regional to get to Omaha behind dominant performances from their stars Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews. They were the most bet-on team to win the CWS before regionals began.

Finding Value When Betting on the College World Series

Because of how the top seeds have fared in the past, bettors should look toward a team in the middle or near the bottom of the odds. There are multiple teams that could be worth a flyer in this year’s tournament.

Virginia swept their regional and defeated Duke in the supers. The Cavaliers are led by three strong starters, a talented bullpen, and the top catcher in the country, Kyle Teel. The Cavaliers got a favorable draw with their bracket as they were able to avoid the two favorites in Wake Forest and LSU. The Cavaliers play much better at home, however. They only lost five times in Charlottesville this season but went 13-8 away from home.

Stanford is the No. 8 team in the country, yet the Cardinal has the second-longest odds to win the College World Series at +1200. Stanford has a strong ace in Quinn Matthews, a loaded lineup, and a lot of experience in Omaha. They have made it to Omaha nine times since 2011, so there are certainly worse bets to make out there.

Oral Roberts upset Oregon in the Super Regionals and became just the third four-seed to ever make it to Omaha. The Golden Eagles are currently listed at +2200 to win. Stony Brook was the last four-seed to advance to the College World Series in 2012, and they had an early exit. They lost their first two games by a combined score of 21-3. Oral Roberts faces TCU on Friday.

2023 College World Series Prediction

The last two champions were teams that got hot at the right time, and I believe that trend will continue this year. On May 1, the Horned Frogs were 23-20 and did not even look like they would make regionals. TCU has now only lost twice since then. It would be hard to argue that any other team in Omaha is hotter than the Horned Frogs. Like LSU, they swept their regional and super regional. Unlike LSU, they won their regionals away from home.

Third baseman Brayden Taylor headlines the potent Horned Frogs lineup. Taylor has hit .444 in the NCAA Tournament with 10 RBI. Their pitching staff has really turned the corner and sparked this hot streak. Ace Kole Klecker is fresh off a performance where he threw nine strikeouts in seven no-run innings.

TCU had a magical season in football and basketball, so why can’t that continue in baseball? They managed to avoid Wake Forest and LSU in their bracket, so give me the hottest team entering Omaha to win the College World Series for a third year in a row.