After a clean sweep yesterday, we roll on to Day 3 of college baseball conference tournament week. Today, we're backing a pair of aces and an ACC team looking for revenge.
Included in my NCAA baseball best bets for Thursday's slate are Cal vs. Georgia Tech, Tennessee vs. Texas and Clemson vs. NC State.
Let's take a look at my college baseball picks and NCAA baseball best bets for the games on Thursday, May 22.
Note: While parlaying these picks isn't our official recommendation, we've put together an easy way to do so below.
College Baseball Picks for Thursday, May 22
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Check out more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page. | ||
Georgia Tech + Tennessee ML Parlay
This afternoon, we must capitalize on two massive pitching edges, and one of the best ways to do so is by parlaying them together.
The first leg is backing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who are playing their first ACC Tournament game due to earning the top seed double bye.
They get the best possible matchup, as Cal — the team that finished last in the conference — has pulled off two consecutive upsets over the last two days.
Georgia Tech isn't taking the Golden Bears lightly, as it's sending ace Tate McKee to the mound. McKee's numbers may not be microscopic, but he has tremendous upside and should be able to cool down this red-hot Cal lineup.
However, the Yellow Jackets' biggest edge is at the dish. Cal has run through its pitching staff through the first two days of this tournament, and this will be the best lineup it's faced yet.
Expect Georgia Tech to finally send Cal packing and move on to the ACC semifinals.
The second leg is backing the Tennessee Volunteers and ace Liam Doyle. While their opponents, the Texas Longhorns, are the No. 2 team in the country, they're no longer the version that earned that ranking.
Texas lost its ace, Jared Spencer, for the season, and its lack of starting pitching has been exposed. On top of that, the lineup has gone ice cold, hitting just .210 over the last 10 games.
The Longhorns are in no shape to take on Tennessee's Doyle, arguably the country's top pitcher. Doyle enters this outing with a 2.72 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and the 10th-highest strikeout per nine rate.
The Tennessee bats will have to contend with the Longhorns' bullpen, which has been one of the best in the nation. However, the Horns do have their weaknesses — like today's opener, Ethan Walker.
Walker has made just seven appearances this season and has had success, but the Tennessee lineup is tough to navigate, ranking sixth in wRC+ and fifth in OPS.
So, while the Vols are the cheaper team price-wise, they're just as much of an anchor because the Longhorns clearly aren't motivated to win in Hoover.
Pick: ML Parlay: Georgia Tech ML -375 + Tennessee ML -188 (-106)
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Clemson vs. NC State Pick
Speaking of motivation, no club is more motivated to stay hot in the ACC than the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers went cold for nearly three weeks, and it all started with getting swept by the NC State Wolfpack.
However, the Tigers ended the regular season on a high note by sweeping Pitt and then carried that momentum over in their victory over Virginia Tech yesterday.
The Wolfpack, meanwhile, stumbled a bit after sweeping Clemson. They lost twice to Miami and Stanford after dropping a midweek matchup to UNC Wilmington.
It's clear Clemson has the momentum edge, and it's trending up while NC State desperately needs to turn the page. Back the Tigers to get one back against the Wolfpack tonight.
Pick: Clemson ML -105
