Familiar foes Florida and Texas A&M meet again on Wednesday night on ESPN in a massive game for both teams, particularly the former. The exact time of this game’s first pitch will depend on when Tennessee vs. Florida State finish the preceding game at Charles Schwab Field
The Aggies, who are undefeated in Omaha, can reach the College World Series championship with a win over Florida tonight. The Gators have to beat Texas A&M twice in a row to punch a ticket to the CWS championship series.
Gators, Aggies Meet Again in Omaha
These teams have already squared off four times this season, including in the College World Series opener for both squads last Saturday, June 15.
Texas A&M and Florida treated fans to a plenty of drama in a 3-2 game that the Gators nearly won on a shot to right field by Cade Kurland in the top of the ninth inning. But Kurland was denied the would-be go-ahead homer on a leaping catch at the wall by Jace LaViolette that allowed the Aggies to survive. Texas A&M got the final out of the night two batters later on a strikeout to seal the W.
That result sent Texas A&M to the winners’ bracket, where they took down Kentucky 5-1 on Monday. Florida, on the other hand, had to beat NC State and Kentucky (15-4 earlier on Wednesday) to set up Wednesday’s rematch.
In their regular-season series back in March, the first of SEC play for both clubs, Florida took two of three from the Aggies in Gainesville, with 8-6 and 4-2 victories sandwiched around a 10-6 loss in Game 2.
Texas A&M (51-13) went 19-11 in the SEC and traveled to Omaha as one of the favorites to win it all, while Florida (36-29) entered the CWS as a massive long shot after going just 13-17 in the loaded SEC this year. But no one who watched these teams’ previous meetings should be surprised to see that oddsmakers see this as a coin-flip.
Texas A&M vs. Florida College World Series Odds
Texas A&M vs. Florida Moneyline Odds
|
ESPN BET |
BetMGM |
DraftKings |
FanDuel |
| Texas A&M |
-125 |
-130 |
-125 |
-125 |
| Florida |
-110 |
+100 |
-105 |
-102 |
Texas A&M vs. Florida Over/Under
|
ESPN BET |
BetMGM |
DraftKings |
FanDuel |
| Over |
11.5 (-120) |
11.5 (-115) |
12 (-105) |
11.5 (-118) |
| Under |
11.5 (-115) |
11.5 (-115) |
12 (-125) |
11.5 (-112) |
Texas A&M vs. Florida Analysis, Best Bets
Wednesday night’s game is a tricky one to try and predict given that Florida already played a must-win game earlier on Wednesday against Kentucky.
That contest hardly tested the Gators’ nerves, though, as they opened up a 7-1 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Florida cruised from there, extending its cushion to 9-1 in the third inning before adding five more in the fifth to erase any doubt.
Now, star first baseman Jac Caglianone and the Gators get a chance to avenge a close loss to Texas A&M just four days ago. Florida had Caglianone hit lead-off against the Wildcats to make them think twice about walking him, and the move paid off. Eight of Florida’s nine batters got at least one hit, with Caglianone among four UF players with at least two hits.
The question tonight for Florida is how well freshman Liam Peterson, the Gators’ likely starter on the mound, will hold up after he threw 64 pitches in Saturday’s meeting between these teams.
Texas A&M’s starting pitcher in this game was still unclear as of 5 p.m. ET, as the Aggies have several options — only Ryan Prager, who started against Kentucky on Monday has been ruled out.
The Aggies are without projected MLB first-rounder Braden Montgomery for the rest of this season due to injury, and the status of Saturday’s hero, LaViolette, is unclear due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Monday.
The uncertainy around key personnel for Texas A&M and the patchwork pitching staff Florida will have to rely on make Over 11.5 (-112 at FanDuel) the sharp play for this matchup.
As for the best moneyline play, Florida looks like a live dog given how well it hit the ball earlier on Wednesday. And the case for the Gators is only strengthened by the fact that their season is over if they’re unable to get a win tonight.
Picks: Over 11.5 (-112) at FanDuel; Florida moneyline (+100) at BetMGM
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
