This article is part of our College Baseball Picks series.
NCAA Baseball Regionals: Best College BAseball Bets for Friday, May 31
The day is here. Regional Friday. OMFG. It's one of the best days of the calendar year with tons and tons of action on the slate. I've previewed a lot of futures over the last week, but now it's time to get back on some game plays. I was a little slow getting out my best bets, which are mostly early games that wouldn't allow enough time, so I'm throwing up a later game here.
Take advantage of the best sportsbook promo codes available at the top sports betting sites during the College Baseball Tournament and the College World Series to cash in on thousands of dollars in bonuses. The BetMGM bonus code gets new players a first bet offer worth up to $1,500.
Bryant Bulldogs (+550) @ NC State Wolfpack (-920) | Total: 14
NC State is one of the hottest teams in College Baseball. They've had a tremendous second half of the year, which has included several great series wins against top ACC opponents. Most of them are against ranked teams and ones that are hosting this week. This game here is one of the more appealing 1 vs. 4 seed matchups of the day.
Sam Highfill, the NC State ace, is slated to go today, and it's been a mixed bag for him this season. His bloated 5.56 ERA is a result of some really bad blow-up outings, but then he had quality starts against Virginia and Duke. Now in what should be a get-right gimme spot for Highfill, he'll see a veteran Bryant team.
The only reason I have any idea about Bryant is because my best friend played baseball there a decade ago. I haven't followed the current team that much this year because you rarely get any betting opportunities on teams like this throughout the season. But let me say, I don't think this Bulldogs team is a pushover.
There are a few boppers in this lineup with double-digit long balls, who also sport some high batting averages. Their star is 1B/OF Gavin Noriega with his team-leading 18 taters and .338 average. As a team, Bryant has a nice little mix of power, speed, and average. The biggest red flag for Highfill this year has been the 17 home runs allowed.
For NC State, the power is in the lineup, but even that has been a bit top heavy this season. Their key three has been Alec Makarewicz, Garrett Pennington, and Jacob Cozart who have combined for 49 of the team's 83 tanks this season. There some other contributors on this offense via stolen bases and get-on-base guys as well. Regardless, it's a team that can score. The interesting thing here is they face a Bryant pitching staff that is about six or seven veteran arms deep. There has a lot of that 2022 Notre Dame vs. Tennessee Super Regional feel where the veteran staff of the Fighting Irish was able to neutralize one of the top lineups that the sport has ever seen.
Austin Wainer gets the ball for Bryant today, and he's been one of their key starters. This will be his 16th start of the season and 16th appearance. In 80.1 innings, Wainer has 67 K's and a solid 4.03 ERA. It's a guy Bryant can throw out there and maybe get five or six innings from. While he hasn't really seen a lineup like NC State, this a a solid arm for the Bulldogs that can get outs. The nine home runs is really the big if since the Wolfpack can put the ball over the fence.
Ultimately, I picked NC State to win this region, so it would be a little tough to do if they lose this game. However, due to the recent struggles of Highfill, I think the current 5.5 run line is too big. When you draw a veteran team, they can upset the order of things. That's why I like Bryant +5.5 today.
Pick: Bryant +5.5 -115
