Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt Odds and Picks – Game 3 College World Series
- The Vanderbilt Commodores are -149 favorites over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the decisive third game of the College World Series final on Wednesday, June 30th
- The Bulldogs crushed the Commodores 13-2 in Game to force the series to the limit
- Vanderbilt will send 2019 CWS Most Outstanding Player Kumar Rocker to the mound for the championship-deciding game
They’re played two games in two days at the College World Series final. So far, there’s been two blowouts.
Mississippi State drew even with Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. They whipped the Commodores 13-2.
In the opener of this best-of-three set, it was the Commodores who scored seven first-inning runs en route to an 8-2 verdict.
Even after absorbing such a one-sided setback in Game 2, it’s Vandy that is being set as the -149 favorites to win Game 3 on Wednesday. The Commodores will be sending right-hander Kumar Rocker to the hill with the season on the line. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 CWS for the reigning NCAA champion Commodores.
Game 3 is slated for a 7:00 pm ET first pitch at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. ESPN2 is carrying the broadcast.
Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt CWS Game 3 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total at BetMGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | +125 | +1.5 (-141) | O 8.0 (-110) |
| Vanderbilt | -149 | -1.5 (+115) | U 8.0 (-110) |
Odds as of June 30th
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Bulldogs Prowess
In winning the first College World Series final game in school history, Mississippi State scored four times in the third inning. The Bulldogs added an additional five spot in the seventh inning.
They chased Vanderbilt starter Christian Little in the bottom of the third inning. He failed to retire a single batter in the inning, as the first eight Mississippi State batters all reached base safely.
Mississippi State turned Commodores reliever Hunter Owen into the hunted. They touched him for all five runs in the bottom of the seventh.
📍Dudy Noble North pic.twitter.com/mxDGEP0lu9
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 30, 2021
Batting ninth in the order, Bulldogs shortstop Lane Forsyth went 3-for-5 at the plate. Right fielder Tanner Allen scored four runs. Second baseman Scotty Dubrule drove in four runs.
As much as the scoreboard was giving off indications of Vanderbilt outplaying Mississippi State in Game 1, the Bulldogs and Commodores finished collecting five hits apiece in that game. Since the second inning of Game 1, Mississippi State has outscored Vanderbilt 14-3. At one point in Game 1, Bulldogs relievers were retiring 16 of 17 Vandy batters.
A Familiar Script
This will be the sixth time in seven CWS finals that the series will be going the distance. The only school managing to sweep the series in that span was Florida in 2017. Prior to that, the previous school suffering a sweep in the final was Mississippi State in 2013.
Mississippi State brutally takes down Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the College World Series to force a winner-take-all Game 3 tomorrow night in Omaha.
Great pitching matchup tomorrow: Kumar Rocker (No. 6 MLB Draft prospect, per @MLBPipeline) vs. Will Bednar (No. 32). https://t.co/azNXxNzIxG
— Today in MLB (@Todayin_MLB) June 30, 2021
Of good news to Bulldog supporters is that the loser of Game 1 came rebounding back to win in four of the past five finals. The includes Vanderbilt in 2019. Following a 7-4 loss to Michigan in the opener, Vandy rallied, winning 4-1 and 8-2.
Ace Up Their Sleeve
Vanderbilt won Game 1 behind the three-hit pitching of Jack Leiter. They’ll send the hurler many feel is the best in the NCAA to the bump for the biggest game of the season.
Like Leiter, expectations are that Rocker will also be a top-10 pick in next month’s MLB Draft. He’s 28-9 in his college career with a 2.79 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 223.1 innings pitched.
Kumar Rocker, Sliders (home plate view) pic.twitter.com/llFJkrN8jl
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 25, 2021
During the postseason, Rocker is 8-1 with a 1.87 ERA. In the NCAA Tournament, he’s 7-0 with 1.16 ERA. For the CWS, Rocker is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA. The 2019 college Freshman of the Year, Rocker won Game 2 of the 2019 CWS final for Vandy.
Mississippi State will counter with Will Bednar. A freshman All-American in 2020, the right-hander is 8-1 as a sophomore with a 3.34 ERA. Bednar has struck out 135 batters in 86.1 innings of work.
Pick: Vanderbilt ML (-149).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
