The Florida State Seminoles take on the Tennessee Volunteers in Omaha, Nebraska. Our College World Series odds package has our Florida State Tennessee prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Florida State Tennessee.

This is the first game for both teams in Omaha at the 2024 College World Series. The winner goes to the winners' bracket game on Sunday evening against the winner of the Virginia-North Carolina game, which is the other Friday opener in Nebraska. The loser goes to the losers' bracket and plays the Sunday afternoon game versus the UVA-UNC loser. One doesn't need an explanation of the stakes in this game: Any first-game loser at the CWS must win each of its next four games to advance out of its half of the brackt and make the best-of-three-game CWS championship series. Losing the first game in Omaha means that a team must win several elimination games in a row to play for the national title. It's a double-elimination tournament, but Game 1 feels like a knockout game. Some teams in College World Series history have done the improbable and have overcome a Game 1 loss to win the championship, but not that many. The College World Series began in 1947. In over 75 years of College World Series play, 12 teams have lost Game 1 and then won the national title, a success rate of close to 15 percent. It's certainly not impossible, but the odds are clearly stacked against Game 1 losers.

Florida State crushed UConn in Game 1 of its super regional before scratching out an extra-inning win in a wild Game 2. The Seminoles showed the ability to win in a blowout but also in a pulse-pounding thriller.

Tennessee won a three-game super regional, losing a high-scoring Game 2 but bouncing back to score a blowout Game 3 win over Evansville. Both teams were heavy favorites in their super regionals. Tennessee was pushed a little harder. Does that mean FSU is better, or that Tennessee is the more battle-tested team coming to Omaha? We will soon find out.

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

College World Series Odds: Florida State-Tennessee Odds

Florida State: +1.5 (no price listed)

Tennessee: -1.5 (no price listed)

Money Line

Florida State: +132

Tennessee: -170

How To Watch Florida State vs Tennessee

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+

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

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

Why Florida State Could Cover The Spread

The Seminoles showed the ability to put an opponent away in their super regional, winning in a massive blowout but also prevailing in an extra-inning game and not allowing that series to bleed into a decisive third game. Florida State, by avoiding Game 3 versus UConn, saved its pitching staff, which should be a little fresher than a Tennessee rotation which endured a Game 3 versus Evansville and might be a little more fatigued heading into this game.

Why Tennessee Could Cover The Spread

The Vols got a necessary wakeup call in Game 2 versus Evansville. That loss shook the Vols into action. They bludgeoned Evansville in Game 3 and looked like a national championship team. Tennessee has a lot of home-run hitters in its lineup and can score in bunches. There's a lot to like about this team against Florida State and in Omaha for the whole week.

Final Florida State-Tennessee Prediction & Pick

Florida State can score on pace with Tennessee, and the difference in pitching quality is not that substantial. Florida State plus a run and a half or on the money line are both attractive plays.

Final Florida State-Tennessee Prediction & Pick: Florida State +1.5