College baseball conference tournament play continues, as many of the top seeds in the Power 4 take the field this afternoon.
The teams with byes have a significant rest advantage, and I've found two with value to add to your Thursday college baseball betting card.
Let's dive into my two college baseball picks and NCAA baseball predictions for Thursday, May 21.
College Baseball Picks, Predictions
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups Action Network's Doug Ziefel is targeting from Thursday's slate of NCAA baseball 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. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Mississippi State vs Georgia Pick
The Georgia Bulldogs are the top seed in the SEC Tournament after bashing their way through the regular season. They're 43-12 on the year, lead the nation in home runs and sit in the top five in every other major offensive category.
It's clear they're a dangerous lineup to contend with, especially for a Mississippi State pitching staff that used its ace yesterday against Missouri.
Georgia will also have its best on the mound in Joey Volchko.
Volchko pitched to a 4.22 ERA this season, flashing electric stuff that helped produce a K/9 Rate of 11.1. He has a tough challenge in front of him in the form of the Mississippi State lineup, which ranks top-145 in every major offensive category and is fresh off a 12-run performance yesterday.
Both teams may mash, but if the Bulldogs have more quality arms to run out there, it will give their bats the opportunity to pull away in what has been a hitter-friendly environment in Hoover.
Pick: Georgia ML -130 (Play to -145)
| |
Baylor vs Kansas Pick
Lastly, we head to the Big 12 Tournament, where the No. 2-seed Kansas Jayhawks face the Baylor Bears. The Jayhawks were a pleasant surprise this year, surging to a 22-8 record in conference play on the heels of a much-improved lineup.
Kansas flashed plenty of power, ranking 18th in home runs, 32nd in wRC+ and 35th in OPS. The Jayhawks are the type of team that can score runs in bunches, and that's going to be very troublesome for Baylor this afternoon.
Baylor burned its best arm last night in Lucas Davenport, who allowed six runs over two innings of work. It then took a bevy of arms and plenty of offense to vanquish BYU.
Last night's game has only made Baylor's pitching situation worse, as it hasn't shown it can contain a quality Big 12 lineup all season. The Bears hold a team ERA of 6.02 and an xFIP of 6.17.
With their best starter unavailable and a taxed bullpen, look for Kansas to crush the Bears and cover the run line in the process as they move on to the quarterfinals.
Pick: Kansas -1.5 (-135)
