Ad Disclosure
College World Series finals: Bettors like Tennessee to snap Texas A&M’s streak in Game 1
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The 2024 College World Series finals are set. No. 1 national seed Tennessee and No. 3 national seed Texas A&M will play a best-of-3 series beginning Saturday. The Vols and Aggies will extend the SEC’s streak for 4 consecutive CWS champions, following recent wins by Mississippi State (2021), Ole Miss (2022) and LSU (2023).
Tennessee and Texas A&M did not meet during the 2024 regular season. On May 23, the Vols defeated the Aggies 7-4 in the SEC Tournament.
UT is the favorite in the championship series. Ahead of the all-SEC showdown, BetMGM shared betting data with Saturday Down South.
The opening lines for Game 1 had Texas A&M a +110 underdog and Tennessee a -145 favorite at BetMGM. By Thursday morning, the money line had already moved to +120 for A&M and -155 for UT.
Bettors are all over the Vols. UT is getting 74% of the tickets (number of bets) for 92% of the handle (money bet on the game). At current odds, it takes a $155 bet to win $100 for a $255 payout on a UT Game 1 victory.
Game 1 – Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
First Bet Bonus Up to $1500: IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, NV, NY, OH, TN, WY/// Bet $10, Get $150 States: AZ, CO, DC, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, PA, VA, WV
21+ and present in Participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Not in NY.
Bettors warmer on A&M winning the series
While Tennessee is dominating the Game 1 moneyline bets, the series winner is producing different splits at BetMGM.
When the CWS finals were set, odds opened at Texas A&M +170 and Tennessee -210 to win the championship series. There has been some line movement in A&M’s favor. Current odds have Texas A&M +160 and Tennessee -200.
Pricing likely plays a significant role, but more of the tickets (57%) and more of the money (69%) is on A&M to win the series. Bettors appear to like the chance to turn a $100 wager into a $260 payout. On the other hand, it would take a $200 wager on Tennessee to win $100 for a $300 payout.
College World Series winner
Vols were popular futures bet
It’s safe to say BetMGM is pulling for Texas A&M in the CWS finals. The book’s futures betting data shows that the Volunteers have long been a popular pick.
Among futures bets for the CWS winner, Tennessee has the highest number of bets for the highest handle, making UT the book’s biggest liability.
CWS champion futures at BetMGM – Highest number of bets:
- Tennessee 14.6%
- North Carolina 8.4% (eliminated)
- Texas A&M 8.3%
CWS champion futures at BetMGM – Most money bet on team:
- Tennessee 25.8%
- Texas A&M 11.4%
- Florida 7.4% (eliminated)
BetMGM’s biggest liability for CWS champion:
- Tennessee
- Florida (eliminated)
- NC State (eliminated)
We’ll see how it all plays out. Game 1 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Game 2 will air Sunday on ABC at 2 p.m. ET. If necessary, Game 3 will be played at 7 p.m. ET Monday and air on ESPN.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
