The 2022 College World Series has returned, and all eight teams eagerly await the opening pitch from Omaha. The opening round features four games, two on Friday and two on Saturday. This is almost always one of the most chaotic events to bet on, given the tournament’s double-elimination nature, and 2022 should be no different.

 

 

Today, we are focusing on the Friday games. Texas A&M and Oklahoma get us started at 2PM EST, that game will be on ESPN. Then, after that game, at 7PM EST, also on ESPN, we see Notre Dame square off with Texas.

On Saturday, Arkansas and Stanford play at 2PM EST on ESPN, then you can change the channel to ESPN2 at 7PM EST to catch Ole Miss take on Auburn.

According to FanDuel, here are the 2022 College World Series odds for the Friday games in Omaha.

2022 College World Series Odds: Opening Round

Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M

Moneyline: Oklahoma (-134), Texas A&M (+110)

Spread: Oklahoma -1.5 runs (+116), Texas A&M +1.5 runs (-142)

Over/Under: Over 10.5 runs (-124), Under 10.5 runs (+102)

Notre Dame vs. Texas

Moneyline: Notre Dame (+112), Texas (-138)

Spread: Notre Dame +1.5 runs (-180), Texas -1.5 runs (+146)

Over/Under: Over 9.5 runs (+104), Under 9.5 runs (-128)

2022 College World Series Opening Round Predictions

Now that we’ve taken a look at the odds, it’s time to decide what bets you can make the most money off of. Not only will we be looking at which bets make both the most sense, but I’m also going to tell you why you should make each bet.

Texas A&M moneyline is a good bet because despite Oklahoma probably being the hotter of the two teams across both the regionals and super regionals, Texas A&M is a far more complete team and has been much more consistent over the course of the season. You get decent value out of it at +110 and it’s a fairly safe pick, making it a good starting point for parlays.

Texas A&M +1.5 run spread is a similarly good shout if you feel bullish on the Aggies, though not nearly with the same value. At -142, it almost certainly is a bet only for parlays, but you don't need to worry about picking it. The Aggies have experience in this postseason in close games sure, as both of their super regional wins came by just a single run. However, in their three regional games, no team was able to get closer than three runs behind Texas A&M. As mentioned, this bet is likely a parlay only due to value, but if you’re building one, this is another safe pick to start with.

Texas -1.5 run spread is both good betting and incredible value at +138. If you feel like Texas is going to win this game you’ll be glad to know they’ve won their five postseason games by an average of just over six runs, and outscored opponents by eight or more in three of them. Their lone loss of the postseason thus far also came by six runs, meaning you can feel comfortable knowing that the spread will be covered one way or the other.

Notre Dame moneyline may be the best value bet of the day. The Fighting Irish enter Omaha after defeating the number one ranked, 57-9 Tennessee Volunteers in the super regionals. A Vols squad touted as one of the best in college baseball history, no less. That surely breeds confidence in the dugout, as should a comfortable trip through a Statesboro regional featuring good opposition in both Texas Tech and Georgia Southern. Sure it’s not the biggest payout, but the Fighting Irish have surprised a lot of people already, and they stand poised to do it again in Omaha.