The Ole Miss Rebels take on the Tennessee Volunteers in an SEC college baseball showdown at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 17. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Ole Miss enters as a favorite of -115 on the moneyline and is -1.5 (+150) on the run line. Tennessee, meanwhile, enters as a -105 underdog and is +1.5 (-195) on the run line. The over/under sits at 9.5 total runs (-115o / -115u).
So, where does the value lie? Let's dive into my Ole Miss vs Tennessee prediction and college baseball picks for Friday, April 17.
Ole Miss vs Tennessee Prediction
- Ole Miss vs Tennessee Pick: Ole Miss ML -115
My Tennessee vs. Ole Miss best bet is on the Rebels to win the game outright.
Ole Miss vs Tennessee Odds
| Ole Miss Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +150 | 9.5 -115o / -115u | -115 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Run Line | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -195 | 9.5 -115o / -115u | -105 |
Ole Miss vs Tennessee Pick, Betting Analysis
Since opening SEC play, Ole Miss is 4-1 on Fridays under the direction of starting pitcher Hunter Elliott.
Though the senior hasn’t quite shown up as a top ace in the country as anticipated, he has improved quite a bit throughout the season. Elliott went six innings against LSU last time out, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits.
The Rebels have rebounded nicely since getting swept by rival Mississippi State, beating Florida and sweeping LSU — plus picking up a sound 10-3 win over Southern Miss on Tuesday — to position themselves nicely for a postseason bid.
The road ahead is arduous, though, with Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Alabama to close the regular season.
Pitching is a serious strength for Ole Miss, which has allowed the 12th-lowest ERA as a team in the country (3.67).
Sophomore Walker Hooks, who comes in at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, has turned in a dominant season thus far, striking out 38 batters and walking only six through 30 innings.
This isn’t the scorching hot Tennessee offense we had under Tony Vitello. Josh Elander doesn’t have the Vols in the tank, but they hold a 100 wRC+ this season — perfectly average.
Instead, Tennessee leans into a strong pitching staff, as its .224 opponent batting average is the 14th-lowest in the country.
But if we’re comparing two adequate (not great) offenses, Ole Miss has the pitching edge throughout the rotation. Only Oregon State has a higher strikeout rate, and nobody has a better xFIP than the Rebels.
Pick: Ole Miss ML -115
