Texas Tech vs Texas Odds, Picks & Predictions for Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series

• Texas Tech battles Texas in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series on Wednesday
• The Longhorns will be playing in their third title series in four years
• Get my Texas Tech vs Texas Game 1 picks and predictions below

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For the first time in five years, there will be a new Women’s College World Series champion. Four-time defending champion Oklahoma was dumped by upstart Texas Tech, setting up an all-Lone Star State showdown as Red Raiders battle the Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns will be competing in their third title series in the last four years, but like the Red Raiders, will be seeking the school’s first World Series crown.

The books are split down the middle on this one, with opening pitch of Game 1 set for Wednesday, June 4, at 8pm ET from OGE Energy Field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, with ESPN/ESPN+ providing coverage.

Texas Tech vs Texas Odds

It’s about as even as you can get entering the CWS, with both the Red Raiders and Longhorns sharing -110 odds on the moneyline. It’s a best-of-three format to take the title, so a team can still lose Game 1 and win the World Series with wins in Games 2 & 3.

Odds as of June 4 at DraftKings. See the full list of DraftKings legal states. 

Texas Tech vs Texas Picks & Predictions

• Texas (-110 at DraftKings)

I think the big question here is what does Texas Tech have left after playing the role of giant killers in the WCWS semifinals?

It was an emotional roller coaster for the Red Raiders against the Sooners, who built a 2-0 lead and needed just one more out to clinch a berth in the title series when Abigale Dayton, down to her last strike, launched a game-tying two run homer in the top of the seventh tie the game at 2-2.

But Texas Tech regrouped in their last at-bats, as Mihyia Davis singled and Hailey Toney doubled, setting up Lauren Allred’s walk-off sac fly to win 3-2.

The Red Raiders will lean heavily on Stanford transfer Nijaree Canaday. She’s the star of this team, as a pitcher and hitter. On the mound, Canaday owns a microscopic 0.86 ERA – tops in the NCAA – and has pitched her team to victory in each game.

Previous Women’s College World Series Winners

No winner in 2020 due to COVID

Texas needed to do some heavy lifting as well to get to the Championship series. They knocked out Oklahoma in the double-elimination portion of the World Series, getting some closure after losing in the title series to the Sooners in both 2022 and 2024.

They also needed to get through Tennessee Lady Vols ace Karlyn Pickens, and did just enough in a 2-0 win to clinch their berth into the final.

Texas was a beast all year on offense, boasting the second-best average in the NCAA this year (.357) while going 54-11 and hanging in the toughest division in softball, the SEC.

The Longhorns also have the luxury of leaning on a couple of ace pitchers in their rotation. Teagan Kavan got the start against Oklahoma, and fanned eight en route to the Texas’ 4-2 win. She also came on in relief of Mac Morgan against Tennessee. Both pitchers will play a prominent role in this series, as the Red Raiders hit .321 as a team this year, second in the Big 12.

It’s hard not to think that experience matters on this stage, and Texas has plenty of battle scars as they enter this one.

The Red Raiders also just hosted and won a regional for the first time in school history. I also think it’s just hard to get back up for a game so quickly after ousting the 4-time defending champions in the dramatic manner that it played out to clinch the program’s first World Series berth. That’s a lot of weight.

While Canaday is the best pitcher in this series, Texas has been to this pinnacle and should be prepared right from the start. That’s enough of the edge they need to get ahead in Game 1.