The college baseball season is officially underway, and we’re getting some valuable data points about teams early on. This is the time of the season when edges are massive if you can target the right teams before the markets catch up.
So, here are some bets for the second weekend of college baseball that target some under-the-radar teams.
My approach for several years has been to bet undervalued underdogs and short favorites, then pair heavier favorites together in two- or three-team moneyline parlays.
It moves your breakeven point up quite a bit, but the disparity in pitching staffs and overall team talent makes this an attainable winning clip.
I have 2 moneyline parlays, so let's dive into my NCAA baseball picks and college baseball parlays for Friday, Feb. 20.
UCLA + Hawaii ML Parlay (+138)
- TCU vs. UCLA (8 p.m. ET)
- Whicita State vs. Hawaii (11:35 p.m. ET)
TCU is without ace Tommy LaPour, who is nursing an injury sustained last weekend. It’s reportedly nothing major, but Kirk Saarloos wants to preserve his rotation after losing Louis Rodriguez in the preseason and having seen injuries ravage the pitching staff a year ago.
Sitting LaPour broadcasts a message. While this is still a big-time measuring stick–after all, UCLA is the No. 1-ranked team at D1Baseball–but perhaps doesn’t hold the same gravity as a Big 12 conference tilt.
UCLA took care of UC San Diego on Opening Night despite a subpar five innings from Logan Reddemann (three earned runs).
When the pitching isn’t there for the Frogs, the bats haven’t shown the ability to keep up. Oklahoma crushed TCU 12-2 on Sunday, a game in which TCU’s pitching staff didn’t bring its best stuff.
Those in the know are big on Hawaii this year. The Rainbow Warriors have a massive advantage playing on the islands and roster a top-notch pitching staff.
The over/under for Hawaii games falls below 10 regularly, including Thursday night’s game against Wichita State.
Hawaii honors Les Murakami this weekend, for whom the baseball stadium is named. Thursday night sold out, and so will Friday night.
Hekili Robello gets the nod after a terrific first start, holding Gonzaga to three runs in six innings last week.
Pick: UCLA + Hawaii ML Parlay (+138)
Troy + Ole Miss + Kansas ML Parlay (+138)
- Campbell vs. Troy (5 p.m. ET)
- Missouri State vs. Ole Miss (5 p.m. ET)
- Kansas vs. McNeese (7 p.m. ET)
I think we’re able to buy Kansas low here after a 2-1 series win at UTRGV and a midweek loss to Lamar. It’s a team I’m still interested in making some noise behind a solid pitching staff and potent (if not inconsistent) lineup.
Dominic Voegele returns to the mound after a poor first showing, giving up five runs and hitting a batter in just three innings. Voegele struggled with control last year, too, but at his best was pretty good. McNeese isn’t a lineup I’m all that afraid of.
Troy enters this weekend just 1-3 after a wild weekend in Macon. The Trojans lost a tough 4-3 battle on a walkoff, then proceeded to get crushed, 17-5, the next day. Troy left with a 19-3 win and then combined for 20 runs in a 13-7 midweek loss to Mississippi State.
Campbell has a similar track, winning a low-scoring 5-2 opening day game against Cal Poly before getting peppered for 16 runs the next day. I like Troy to flip the script behind another strong start from Tommy Egan. I’m also interested in playing the under here.
Ole Miss should cruise to a victory over visiting Missouri State, but I still don’t think the Rebels are priced like they may be come mid-SEC play. This is an underrated ball club with a steep price that helps boost the juice here.
Pick: Troy + Ole Miss + Kansas ML Parlay (+138)
