Conference tournament week has arrived, and with it comes the excitement of postseason college baseball. I've got three best bets for the first day of action.
Included in my best bets for Tuesday are picks for Stanford vs. Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament, Nebraska vs. Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament and Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament.
Let's take a look at my college baseball best bets and NCAA baseball picks for the games on Tuesday, May 20.
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 Tuesday, May 20
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Action Network's Doug Ziefel is targeting from today's slate of NCAA baseball conference tournament games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 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. | ||
Stanford vs. Virginia Tech Pick
In these tournament-style formats, momentum and motivation play a significant factor. The Virginia Tech Hokies enter the ACC Tournament needing a big run to earn a bid in the Field of 64.
However, they didn't help their case this past weekend when they lost their final series to Virginia.
On the flip side, Stanford salvaged its RPI with a big series win over NC State last weekend. The Cardinal are also in much better offensive form than the Hokies.
Over its last seven games, Stanford has hit .296 and boasts a team ERA of 5.56, which is a sizable improvement from its season ERA of 6.41. Virginia Tech is hitting just .249 as a team and has a staff ERA of 6.44 over its last seven games.
While the top of the Hokies' rotation and the back end of their bullpen have been excellent all season, we won't see many top-end arms in this matchup.
If this game is going to be decided by the bats, Stanford is the clear side to back.
Pick: Stanford +1.5 (-125)
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Nebraska vs. Michigan State Pick
The Cornhuskers aren't getting enough respect here in this opening-round matchup against Michigan State. Resume-wise, these teams are not that close.
The Spartans own an RPI of 132 and rank 165th in strength of schedule. The Cornhuskers have an RPI of 64 and a strength of schedule of 39. Both teams finished the regular season with 28 wins.
Now, the Spartans aren't playing around; they're going to give the ball to their ace, Joseph Dzierwa. Dzierwa has been tremendous, holding a 2.31 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 14 starts.
However, the Cornhuskers are opting to match with one of their top arms, Ty Horn. Horn had a 5.66 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 15 starts. However, he's due for a sizeable positive regression with a 3.93 SIERA and now faces a scuffling Michigan State lineup.
So, while the Spartans may have the edge on the mound, the Cornhuskers have the far better lineup. They outrank Michigan State, 98th to 214th, in wRC+ and 164th to 230th in batting average.
If the Cornhuskers can get Dzierwa out of this game, they also have the slight edge in the bullpen and should be able to keep the bats rolling.
Back Nebraska to pull off the upset.
Pick: Nebraska ML +135
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Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Pick
In the nightcap, the Texas A&M Aggies — the preseason No. 1 team in the country — need a big run to potentially earn a bid in the field of 64.
However, having to play on a Tuesday and being unable to throw one of their top-end arms put them behind the eight ball.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are hot coming into Hoover, having won each of their last three series. They most recently outscored Missouri, 40-11, in their sweep, while the Aggies were swept by Missouri two weeks ago.
These teams are clearly trending in opposite directions, and preseason expectations must be thrown out the window at this point. Back the Bulldogs to put an end to a lost season for Texas A&M.
Pick: Mississippi State ML -105
