The 2023 College World Series will be down to two teams after No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest takes on No. 5 LSU for the third time in the CWS on Thursday. The teams have split their first two matchups in Omaha with Wake Forest winning 3-2 on Monday to send LSU to the loser's bracket. The Tigers bounced back with a 5-2 win on Wednesday to force this elimination game for both sides at 7 p.m. ET. The winner advances to face Florida in the CWS championship series. Both teams are expected to use their aces -- LSU's Paul Skenes and Wake Forest's Rhett Lowder -- in some capacity.
The latest LSU vs. Wake Forest odds from Caesars Sportsbook list the Tigers as the -170 favorites (risk $170 to win $100), while the Demon Deacons are +140 underdogs. The over/under is 8. Before you scour the 2023 College World Series odds and make any college baseball picks, be sure to check out the CWS predictions from SportsLine's Allan Bell.
Bell is on an impressive run picking college baseball games for SportsLine. He went 56% throughout the 2022 college baseball postseason, including a +1200 futures hit on Ole Miss winning the national championship. He is 29-17 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, a 64% winning clip. Anybody following him has seen big returns.
Now, Bell has set his sights on LSU vs. Wake Forest and just locked in his picks and CWS predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college baseball betting lines for Wake Forest vs. LSU:
- LSU vs. Wake Forest money line: LSU -170, Wake Forest +140
- LSU vs. Wake Forest run line: LSU -1.5 (+140)
- LSU vs. Wake Forest over/under: 9
- LSU vs. Wake Forest picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Wake Forest
The NCAA Tournament's top overall seed is an underdog despite putting together a dominant 2023 campaign. The Demon Deacons averaged 9.2 runs per game this season, tying for fourth nationally. They've had some incredible outbursts during the NCAA Tournament, scoring 22 runs against Alabama in Game 2 of the Super Regionals and scoring 12 or more runs in all three Regional matchups.
Facing Skenes is a tall task, but Wake Forest will likely counter with an ace of its own in Lowder. Projected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft in the latest CBS Sports mock draft, Lowder has an elite changeup and is one of the most complete pitchers in all of college baseball. See which side to back here.
Why you should back LSU
Skenes has been the best pitcher in college baseball this season and he's been extremely tough in the NCAA Tournament. The Air Force transfer, who should be one of the top picks in the 2023 MLB Draft, has won all three starts in the tournament and has allowed just four earned runs in 23.4 innings. He's struck out 33 batters in that span.
LSU's bullpen has been strong in Omaha, so the Tigers have options should Skenes show any fatigue after his 123-pitch outing last Saturday. The Tigers also boast one of the most dangerous lineups in the nation, anchored by Dylan Crews and Tommy White, who both have a slugging percentage higher than .700. See which side to back here.
How to make LSU vs. Wake Forest CWS picks
Bell has evaluated this matchup and found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on a best bet. See what it is over at SportsLine.
What is the best bet for LSU vs. Wake Forest in the College World Series on Thursday? Visit SportsLine to find out, all from the expert who is on a 29-17 roll on college baseball picks.
