We have finally made it to Omaha for the College Baseball World Series. Texas and Notre Dame will get primetime billing on ESPN for Game 1.
Texas got here in dramatic fashion after dropping Game 1 to East Carolina, but stormed back to get two wins in a row.
Notre Dame’s run has perhaps been more impressive. It had to play as close as possible to perfect for at least two games, and it did so. The Irish took two of three from No. 1 Tennessee and advanced from the Knoxville region.
Read our college baseball betting picks and predictions for Notre Dame vs. Texas to see which side we’ll be backing tonight.
Notre Dame vs Texas odds
| Notre Dame | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| +112 | Moneyline | -138 |
| +1.5 (-180) | Run line | -1.5 (+146) |
| Over 9.5 (+104) | Total | Under 9.5 (-128) |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel on June 17, 2022.
Notre Dame vs Texas predictions
Picks made on 6/17/2022 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Notre Dame vs Texas game info
• Location: Charles Schwab Field, Omaha, NB
• Date: Friday, June 17, 2022
• First pitch: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN+
Notre Dame vs Texas betting preview
Starting pitchers
John Bertrand (9-3, 2.69 ERA) Bertrand has been the anchor of the Irish rotation. He was rocked against Tennessee for six earned runs, but beyond that has been quite stellar throughout the postseason. The Furman transfer posted a WHIP of over 1.00 and averages around nine strikeouts per game.
Pete Hansen (11-2, 3.40 ERA) The ace of the Longhorns’ rotation has been relatively steady throughout the year. He was roughed up against Eastern Carolina in the Super Regionals but should be considered more of a blip on the radar than anything.
In 2022 the lefty posted a 1.00 WHIP. He’s had some dominant games, but he hangs around in games even when he’s not precisely dominant. Expect Hansen to give the Longhorns a deep start and put them in a position to grab a win.
Weather
It'll be a hot evening in Omaha as the College Baseball World Series gets underway, with temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 45% humidity. Winds of roughly 10 miles per hour, blowing from right to left, are expected at game time.
Key injuries
Notre Dame: No injuries to report.
Texas: No injuries to report.
Betting trend to know
Texas owns a 4-1 record in one-run games this season.
Notre Dame vs Texas picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
These two teams have gotten hot at the right time and have pitching staffs that know how to do the job. I believe the Texas name recognition has created a bit of value here versus Notre Dame, and I’m backing the Irish.
Notre Dame either played the best two games it will play all year against Tennessee, or there’s something to it. I’m buying into some of the team of destiny vibes.
The advantage the Irish have against this Texas lineup is they just saw one very similar in the Volunteers. Tennessee’s lineup was littered with big, swing-heavy bats, and they get that very same look against Texas. The Longhorns strike out about 9.2 times per game.
The Irish staff had already taken advantage of that twice in this postseason when they faced Texas Tech and Tennessee. Like Texas, both of those opponents averaged over nine Ks per game.
Against Tennessee, Notre Dame’s offense came to life. Jack Zyska has led the way with a batting average north of .400 and three home runs. Jack Brannigan has also chipped in with a couple of home runs and hitting around .350. Hansen has been good, but he will give the Irish offense chances based on the number of pitches he throws for a strike.
I’m not going to fade an Irish offense that came alive against the best team in baseball last week. At least not at plus money and not yet.
Prediction: Notre Dame moneyline (+115 at FanDuel)
Over/Under analysis
I’ll be backing the Over here, as these are two of the hottest offenses coming into Omaha. I was projecting a total of around 12.5. The number we got, however, feels like a gift.
Handicapping how the increased pressure of the postseason will affect a game is always a challenging endeavor. It’s one I’ll lean into here, though.
In their past two postseason starts, the openers for today gave up a combined 11 earned runs. Texas is facing a better offense than it did in East Carolina. At least the way it’s hitting right now, and as crazy as it sounds, you could make the argument that Notre Dame is facing a better one as well.
Texas was the preseason No. 1 overall team for a reason, and a big part was the hitting by Skyler Messinger and Murphy Stehly. While I believe the Irish have a slight pitching edge here between their starters and bullpen contributions, you’re not going to keep this Texas offense too quiet. The Longhorns are averaging an entire run and half better postseason than they did in the regular season.
On the flip side is the Notre Dame offense. The Irish will see a pitcher who will throw a lot of strikes. The Irish demolished particularly everything they saw a week ago and get a team that’s allowing close to five runs per game in the postseason (that includes one game last week where they allowed just one run).
Prediction: Over 9.5 (+115 at FanDuel)
Best bet
The Over is the best bet in the game. As the CWS progresses in Omaha, the games will get tighter, and scoring will likely go down significantly. The lone exception, in my opinion, will be the opening games.
Notre Dame and Texas are no strangers to the long ball, and possess the power to blow one another out. If that happens, you may see a more conservative approach from the coaches with their bullpen arms. Bench bosses will make a point of saving stronger pitchers in their bullpen for a potential elimination game.
If that scenario occurs, it wouldn’t be shocking to see either of these clubs going Over the posted total all on their own. Either way, it’s hard to envision both of these high-powered offenses staying quiet long enough for this game to stay Under 10 runs.
Pick: Over 9.5 (+115 at FanDuel)
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