The East Tennessee State Buccaneers face the Louisville Cardinals to open up the Nashville Regional in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Louisville enters as a -140 favorite on the moneyline with the over/under sitting at 14.
Let's dive into our ETSU vs. Louisville prediction and college baseball picks for Friday, May 30.
ETSU vs Louisville Prediction
- ETSU vs. Louisville Pick: ETSU ML +102
My Louisville vs. ETSU best bet is on the Buccaneers to win as underdogs, with the best line currently available at BetRivers.
ETSU vs Louisville Odds
| ETSU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -154 | 14 -115o / -115u | +110 |
| Louisville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +120 | 14 -115o / -115u | -140 |
- ETSU vs Louisville Moneyline: ETSU +110 · Louisville -140
- ETSU vs Louisville Over/Under: 14 Runs
- ETSU vs Louisville Run Line: Louisville -1.5 (+120) · ETSU +1.5 (-154)
ETSU vs Louisville College Baseball Betting Preview
We're starting off hot with one of the top offensive teams in the country, the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. The Bucs can flat out rake, coming into the Nashville Regional ranked fourth in OPS, 16th in batting average and 18th in wRC+
Now, this lineup has a tough task in front of them in Louisville ace Patrick Forbes, but Forbes has struggled with command at times this season and is a pitcher who relies heavily on strikeouts.
He's likely to generate a high pitch count and not go deep into this game, and that's when the Bucs can really strike. The Cardinals' bullpen is extremely vulnerable and due for regression. They hold a collective ERA of 6.07 and an xFIP of 6.62.
On the other side of this matchup, Carter Fink takes the mound for ETSU. Fink is not an overpowering pitcher, relying on command and soft contact for success. Luckily for him, the Cardinals ended the season making a ton of soft contact, as they ranked 235th in wOBA over their last 10 games.
Behind Fink, the Buccaneers' bullpen is stellar, ranking 24th in ERA and 17th in WHIP nationally.
If ETSU can keep this one close while Forbes is on the mound, we should see it rally and steal this one after he departs.
Pick: ETSU ML +102
