A national championship is on the line tonight when UNC (54-13-1) and Oklahoma (42-23) meet in Game 3 of the College World Series Finals. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Tar Heels staved off elimination by winning Game 2 yesterday, 6-2. DraftKings is dealing UNC as a -154 favorite, Oklahoma as a +120 underdog, and a total of 10.
At DraftKings, 64% of the moneyline handle and 59% of tickets are on the Tar Heels.
Best Bets North Carolina vs. Oklahoma
UNC -154 on moneyline, Tar Heels -1.5 on spread (+100)
Jackson Rose is expected to take the mound tonight for North Carolina. The freshman lefty is 5-0 on the season and boasts a 2.15 ERA. Rose dominated West Virginia in his last start, yielding no runs on two hits in 4-1/3 innings of work, as UNC rolled to a 12-7 win in the semifinals.
Oklahoma counters with freshman Nick Wesloski, who allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5-2/3 innings in Oklahoma’s 11-4 win over Georgia in the semis. This year, he’s 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA.
Expect to see Caden Glauber come on in relief for UNC at some point tonight. Clauber was brilliant yesterday, striking out eight. He allowed just one hit and held the Sooners scoreless in five innings to close out the game.
The question is how much work Glauber can handle on a day’s rest after throwing 65 pitches yesterday. Fun fact: The Tar Heels are 29-0 this season when Glauber’s made an appearance. Glauber is a difference maker and gives UNC a definite edge in tonight’s winner-take-all scenario.
North Carolina’s Owen Hull has one of the best bats in the nation. Hull leads UNC with a .390 batting average, and he homered in Game 2 to help the Tar Heels force the decisive Game 3.
Oklahoma’s offense dominated in a 9-3 Game 1 win. Deiten Lachance homered twice to lead the Sooners. Overall, the Canadian catcher has six dingers in the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma was unheralded coming into the NCAA Tournament, but it caught fire in the postseason. The Sooners were 14-16 in SEC play. Notably, SEC teams have won the last six national titles.
No. 5 seed North Carolina is looking for its first national championship in school history. There’s a team-of-destiny feel to Scott Forbes‘ unit after the Tar Heels advanced to the College World Series for the second time in three years under his direction.
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