The Tennessee Volunteers take on the LSU Tigers in Omaha. Our College World Series odds package has our Tennessee LSU prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Tennessee LSU.

This is the last of the four opening games at the 2023 NCAA College World Series. The winner will face the Stanford-Wake Forest winner in the winners' bracket on Monday night. The loser will face the Stanford-Wake loser in the losers' bracket on Monday afternoon. The loser will have to win four straight games to reach the CWS championship round.

Tennessee defeated Southern Mississippi on the road in the Super Regionals. The Vols lost Game 1 of the three-game series but were able to climb back and win Games 2 and 3 to advance to Omaha. Tennessee, which won a 14-inning thriller against Clemson in the regionals one week before its triumph over Southern Miss, has shown a lot of resilience over the past few weeks. The Vols have dug out of numerous difficult moments to prevail.

LSU has had a perfect road to Omaha, not losing a game over the past two weeks. LSU won all three regional games at home, then both Super Regional games against Kentucky, to move to the College World Series. LSU is a college baseball blue-blood program, and Tennessee has been one of the SEC's top programs over the past several years. This is a genuine blockbuster matchup in college baseball's ultimate showcase.

Here are the Tennessee-LSU College World Series odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College World Series Odds: Tennessee-LSU Odds

Tennessee: +1.5 (-114)

LSU: -1.5 (-114)

Over: 9.5 (-118)

Under: 9.5 (-112)

How To Watch Tennessee vs. LSU

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

*Watch Tennessee-LSU LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Tennessee Could Cover The Spread

LSU has really good pitching. Christian Moore and Zane Denton give Tennessee the elite bats which can counter the Tigers' powerful arms. Tennessee has been able to adjust to all sorts of situations, as shown by that 14-inning cliffhanger against Clemson two weeks ago. The Vols have won with power, but they have also won with speed, pitching and defense at various points in time. This is a well-rounded team which can overcome LSU's strengths. It also has to be said that based on the ability of this team — especially the bullpen — to hang together in some long and grueling games, the Vols should love their chances to cover and win outright if this game is close heading into the seventh or eighth inning. LSU better take control in the first five innings, because if it doesn't, it could be in big trouble.

Why LSU Could Cover The Spread

The Tigers have Paul Skenes on the mound in this game. That is their biggest advantage by far. Skenes is the NCAA Division I college baseball leader in strikeouts. He's a workhorse who will regularly go 100 or more pitches deep into a game. He is an old-school pitcher who takes the ball expecting to finish what he started. He might not always pitch a complete game, but he regularly does go deep into games, much as Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins did in 2022 when he won the National League Cy Young Award. Skenes is the problem Tennessee might not be able to solve.

Yet, Skenes isn't the only guy Tennessee has to worry about. Dylan Crews is hitting over .400 for the 2023 college baseball season, producing a stupidly great year with insane stats. If Crews is up in a big spot, he has a very good chance — better than most — of delivering the huge base knock for LSU.

Final Tennessee-LSU Prediction & Pick

These teams are evenly matched, but Skenes gives LSU a critical edge in a one-game situation. Take LSU.

Final Tennessee-LSU Prediction & Pick: LSU -1.5