Then there were two! After an incredible pitching duel that saw Ole Miss ace Dylan DeLucia throw the first complete-game shutout that Omaha has seen since 1993, he and his Rebels defeated Arkansas 2-0 to advance to the finals to face the equally hot Oklahoma Sooners. It's time to continue our College World Series odds series with an Ole Miss-Oklahoma prediction and pick.

 

If necessary, this series will go to three games, taking place in primetime on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings. Game 1 will feature likely a third pitcher’s duel in succession for Ole Miss, with Oklahoma ace Jake Bennett taking the mound opposite the Rebels’ Jack Doughtery.

Game 1 sees its first pitch fly across the plate at 7PM EST on ESPN, so before you get your weekend underway, let’s take a gander over at FanDuel for the odds.

2022 College World Series Odds: Ole Miss-Oklahoma Game 1 Odds

Moneyline: Ole Miss (+116), Oklahoma (-142)

Spread: Oklahoma -1.5 runs (+138), Ole Miss +1.5 runs (-170)

Over/Under: Under 10.5 runs (-106), Over 10.5 runs (-114)

Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma Game 1

For the Rebs and Sooners, they walk in with different levels of freshness. Ole Miss of course had to play one extra game, where they were forced to use their ace, the aforementioned Dylan DeLucia. If you glance at the overall series odds, Ole Miss is favored at the time of writing, but we're just here to focus on game one. On that note, Oklahoma has a fully rested pitching lineup, but Ole Miss isn't out for the count yet. Hunter Elliott has functioned as a second ace this postseason for Ole Miss, so this first tilt should offer a good chance for both teams, and the odds reflect that.

Ole Miss moneyline is the play here, the odds are almost dead even, so it's really a matter of preference. Oklahoma's Jake Bennett pitched in the Sooners' opening round 13-8 win over Texas A&M on June 17th, and Hunter Elliott last pitched on June 20th in a 13-5 win over Arkansas. Both starters played very well, and Bennett may be able to go longer given his two-day rest advantage over Elliott. It all depends on who's able to get a couple of base hits strung together to maybe plate a run or two. That's the difference here, and considering Ole Miss played back-to-back incredibly close games, I'll give the advantage in a third to the Rebels.

Ole Miss -1.5 runs just makes sense from an odds perspective. As mentioned, a pitching duel is what I fully expect, so I wouldn't be shocked if the margin is just the one run. Thus, take the better odds here, and like Thursday, if it works out you're in the green. Through 13 College World Series games just two, the Arkansas-Ole Miss games played Wednesday and Thursday have been close enough to worry the spread, but tensions are running high in the championship series, so bet with caution here.

Under 11.5 runs may seem counterintuitive, given the better odds on the over, but as mentioned several times throughout the College World Series, games just aren't hitting the over in Omaha this year. Still only three have hit the over, granted both Ole Miss and Oklahoma participated in one. Trends are easy to follow, especially in a contained competition like the College World Series. Thus, the only bet that makes sense is the under, especially with the pitching matchup.

Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma Game 1 Prediction

With the betting part out of the way, who's the pick to take game 1? Behind a great performance from Hunter Elliott, I'm taking Ole Miss to win this first game. Game 1 is absolutely monumental for the Rebels, as if they win it, the worst-case scenario dictates they get Dylan DeLucia back for Game 3. The Sooners know they can afford to be a bit more cautious with their pitching than Ole Miss, and that's going to be the difference in Game 1. Ole Miss is more or less forced to throw the kitchen sink at Saturday's game, which inspires them to a victory.

Ole Miss-Oklahoma Prediction & Pick: Ole Miss Moneyline (+116)