NCAA Baseball Best Bets, Picks: 3 Predictions for Opening Day of College Baseball Regionals (Friday, May 31)

If you're looking for our Saturday college baseball best bets, click the link below.

College Baseball Best Bets | 2 Expert Picks for Saturday's NCAA Regional Games (June 1)Read now

If you like March Madness, the college baseball postseason is for you. Sixty-four teams will embark on the road to Omaha today with one goal in mind.

So, with the stage set, let's dive into our best bets for the first day of NCAA Baseball Regionals.

NCAA Baseball Best Bets

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that Action Network's Doug Ziefel is targeting from today's slate of NCAA Regional games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

Game	Time (ET)	Pick
	3 p.m.	Nebraska ML +114
	6 p.m.	Louisiana ML -102
	7 p.m.	Bryant +5.5
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Check out more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page.

Friday, May 31

3 p.m. ET

ESPN+

Nebraska ML +114

A year after making a deep College World Series run, the Florida Gators enter this year's tournament just one game over .500. While the Gators played the toughest schedule in the nation, they drastically underperformed and are lucky to even be in the tournament field.

Their issues come on the mound, as they found no consistency from anyone except Jac Caglianone, who started on Sundays. Florida ranked 135th in runs allowed per game and 167th in team ERA.

The Gators will hand the ball to freshman Liam Peterson here. Peterson came in with a ton of hype but pitched to a 5.83 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP in 14 appearances this year.

He will be opposed by Nebraska Cornhuskers ace Brett Sears. Sears has been lights-out this season, posting a 2.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 16 starts.

Sears is poised to contain a Gators lineup that's actually outranked on paper. The Cornhuskers' lineup, which is red-hot after winning the Big Ten Tournament title, finished with a higher wRC+ than Florida.

Back the Huskers to take this opening matchup.

Pick: Nebraska ML +114 (Play to -115)

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Friday, May 31

6 p.m. ET

ESPN2

Louisiana ML -102

The wrong team is favored in this matchup.

The Texas Longhorns are a prestigious program with a lot of talent on both sides, but they're not among the upper echelon of programs this season.

The Horns dealt with injuries, the biggest being to their ace, Lebarron Johnson Jr., who's not pitching in this game.

Instead, they'll give the ball to Max Grubbs, who saved the rotation with a 3.54 ERA in 17 appearances.

However, the issue for the Longhorns in this matchup is on the other side. Their lineup is incredibly streaky. Texas holds a wRC+ of 123 on the season, but that number has dropped to 82 over its last 10 games.

The Longhorns must also contend with a great arm in Louisiana's Carson Fluno. Fluno was tremendous this season, pitching to a 2.94 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP in 16 starts.

He'll be backed by a Louisiana lineup that's tough to get out. The Ragin' Cajuns hit .299 as a club, ranking 51st in the country.

This matchup is a clash of styles offensively, but Louisiana has a significant edge on the hill with a superior bullpen that will play a big role when Fluno leaves the game.

Back Louisiana to move into the winners' bracket.

Pick: Louisiana ML -102 (Play to -115)

2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament Odds & Picks: Best Bets for Every College Baseball RegionalRead now

Friday, May 31

7 p.m. ET

ESPN+

Bryant +5.5

The Bryant Bulldogs may be the best 4-seed in the field. They're live to hang around in this matchup against the NC State Wolfpack, as they can bring it offensively.

The Bulldogs finished 66th nationally in slugging percentage and hit just two fewer homers than their counterparts today. And if there's one flaw in the game of NC State ace Sam Highfill, it's the home-run ball.

We saw it in his last outing against Duke. Highfill was cruising, and then the Blue Devils hung a crooked number when he couldn't keep the ball in the park.

On the other side, Bryant ace Austin Wainer played well in one of his only starts against a Power 5 opponent this year. He allowed two earned runs and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings against UCF.

While the Wolfpack's bats are a big step up, Wainer appears to be game, and his bats should get him run support.

Back the Bulldogs to cover the big run line here.

Pick: Bryant +5.5 (-115)