Hello everyone, welcome to Opening Weekend. It feels good to be back.

If you have followed my picks over the past few seasons, you know that I bet college baseball with lots of volume. As always, know your limits. I recommend using a unit as 1% of your bankroll. The early non-conference offers a good opportunity to build. However, this is opening weekend and we are still going off of preseason reports.

Let’s have a season. The journey begins tomorrow.

Betting Card:

No book listed = DraftKings

1.5u: Wake Forest + Kentucky -116

• If you read my sleeper list, I am high on Wake this season. SP Blake Morningstar is a projected first rounder and will get the ball early Friday morning. Lineup returns 7/9 including Kade Lewis. Houston may be a sleeper team in the Big 12, but I expect it to take time after losing their best arm in Antione Jean.
• Despite being on the road, Kentucky should have little problems this weekend. They are a much better team than UNCG.

TCU +1.5 -125 (CZR)

• Tommy LaPour vs Connor Ferrel is one of the best pitching matchups of the weekend. I like TCU’s lineup a little more than Vandy’s. Large ballpark should keep this on the lower scoring end.

1.25u: Troy -130

• Troy was another team mentioned in my sleeper’s article and I expect them to start the season off with a series win on the road against Mercer.

Kansas State -110 (CZR)

• Kansas State is being undervalued in the preseason. Iowa returns a veteran lineup, but lost their pitching production. KSU’s starter, James Guyette, was a member of the US collegiate national teams. The Wildcats’s lineup returns several key contributors while adding the 25th ranked portal class.

Utah +102 (FD)

• Colter McAnelly was one of the Big 12’s top pitchers last season, striking out 92 batters across 92.2 IP. Utah finished last in the Big 12 a year ago and will be projected to do the same this year. However, this lineup should feature an experienced group of hitters and I believe they compete this season. Fresno lost a ton of production from both the lineup and the mound.

Arizona -142 (FD)

• Owen Kramkowski is an arm I will be backing often this season. The Tony Pluta news sucks, but Arizona has the depth. Stanford may be a sleeper team this season, but they lost their main starting pitchers to the portal. I expect it to take some time.

Clemson + Charlotte -122

• Charlotte was another team featured on my sleeper list. This is a well-balanced team. San Diego is traveling across the country. The Toreros lost their best player, Isaiah Lane for the season. Knaak Day for Clemson.

1.5u: Louisville + Ole Miss + Florida + Clemson -101

• All big favorites at home throwing their #1s with a clear advantage.

WVU + Florida -125 (MGM)

• UAB and Georgia Southern need to replace production from last season. Florida shouldn’t need Sully in the dugout with Liam Peterson on the mound. WVU was projected to finish 3rd in the preseason standings after bringing in a top 30 portal classes to add to Gavin Kelly and Armani Guzman.

UCSB / Southern Miss u10.5 -122 (FD)

• Jackson Flora may be the first arm taken off the board in this year’s draft. Southern Miss will go with Colby Allen. Allen has been a staple for USM’s staff the last few seasons. Pitcher’s ballpark.

Oregon State / Michigan u12.5 -113 (FD)

• Dax Whitney will start for the Beavs. He is the top arm of the 2027 class and a must-watch each time he takes the bump. Tate Carey is Perfect Game’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year and will likely get the ball for Michigan. Warm weather in Arizona, but both teams suffered offensive turnover.

Arkansas + UNC +103 (CZR)

• Oklahoma State is a solid team but they lost their projected Friday Starter in Hunter Watkins for the season. I have big expectations for Gabe Gaeckle’s redemption in the Friday role. The game is at Globe Life, but I give Arkansas the advantage in lineup, starter, and bullpen. UNC has been a force at home over the past few seasons. Jason DeCaro has a lockdown bullpen following him. UNC’s lineup turnover concerns me, but they should be able to handle Indiana’s pitching.

Grand Canyon +134 (FD)

• For my dog of the day, I will be backing GCU. Northeastern was a force last season. The Huskies led the country in ERA and multiple other pitching stats. However, 90 percent of the team’s innings pitched from last season a handful of everyday players departed, as did two of Glavine’s assistants. Northeastern is projected to reload, but traveling across the country is always a tough task. It’s even harder when you are from the Northeast playing the first game of the season on Grand Canyon’s home field. GCU will roll out Garrett Ahern. Ahern started in all 15 weekend last season with showcasing swing and miss stuff. He struggled with walks, but ranked 4th in program history with a strikeout rate of 9.79 per nine innings. If he can cut down on the walks, Ahern will be one of the best pitchers in the Mountain West.

GT + Texas + TAMU + UC Irvine -122 (B365)

• 4 big favorites with their #1 on the mound with a clear advantage. You can even add LSU to knock down the odds a little more, but I would be pissed if I somehow lost a -2500.

Pick 3:

My pick 3 is for people that do not bet a large card.

UCSB / Southern Miss u10.5

Wake Forest + Kentucky

TCU +1.5