Vanderbilt has shown a flair for the dramatic during the 2021 College World Series, recording two of its three victories in walk-off fashion. The reigning champion squandered a ninth-inning lead against Arizona in its opener but went on to win in 12 innings, then scored twice in the ninth against Stanford to complete its comeback from a 5-2 deficit. The Commodores (48-16) hope to avoid the need for late heroics when they face Mississippi State (48-17) in Game 1 of the College World Series 2021 final on Monday.
Vanderbilt is aiming for its third championship in four appearances in the final since 2014, while Mississippi State is battling for the crown for just the second time in school history (2013). First pitch at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Vanderbilt is the -190 favorite (risk $190 to win $100) on the money line in the latest 2021 College World Series odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for runs scored is 7.5. Before making any Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State picks, you need to see what SportsLine baseball insider Matt Snyder is saying.
A former player for Indiana University and a member of the BBWAA, Snyder has been a baseball writer with CBS Sports since 2011. Baseball-obsessed since a young child, a fan of gambling from nickel-and-dime poker as a teen to $5 blackjack as a broke college kid and eventually on to major sports betting, the transition always seemed inevitable for Snyder.
CBS Sports' longest-tenured baseball expert teams simple logic learned back from his baseball-playing days, such as "stick with what works," with extensive background analytics. He went 26-18 in the 2020 MLB Playoffs, including 8-4 on World Series bets.
Now, Snyder has dialed in on Vanderbilt vs Mississippi State in the CWS 2021 final. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the CWS betting lines and trends for Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt:
Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State moneyline: Vanderbilt -190, Mississippi State +160 Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State run-line: Vanderbilt -1.5 Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State over-under: 7.5 runs VAN: 1B Dominic Keegan has hit safely in all four of the Commodores' CWS games MSU: All three of the Bulldogs' victories have been by one runWhy you should back Vanderbilt
Facing Jack Leiter under normal circumstances is difficult enough, but going up against an angry Leiter is an unfathomable task. Mississippi State likely will be doing just that, as the 21-year-old was saddled with the loss against North Carolina State last Monday despite allowing one run and setting the Vanderbilt record for most strikeouts in a College World Series contest with 15 while throwing a complete game. Leiter needs to fan 12 batters to break the single-season school mark of 194 set in 2007 by David Price.
Leiter received no run support in his previous outing, as Vanderbilt managed only two hits in the 1-0 loss. But Park Noland has been swinging a hot bat, going 4-for-9 with two RBIs in his last two games. Keegan also has been a factor for the Commodores offensively, as he is 6-for-18 with a homer, two RBIs and four runs scored over four games in Omaha.
Why you should back Mississippi State
The Bulldogs suffered an 8-5 loss to Texas on Friday and were in danger of being eliminated the following day as they were trailing the Longhorns by two runs in the fifth inning. They would not be denied, however, rallying to forge a tie before posting a walk-off victory.
Mississippi State has a strong 1-2 punch at the top of its lineup in Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen, who both went 2-for-4 on Saturday. The top two in hits for the Bulldogs in the College World Series, respectively, Jordan has gone 6-for-17 thus far in Omaha, while Allen is 5-for-17 and has driven in four runs. A senior outfielder, Allen is tied for second on Mississippi State's all-time list with seven career CWS RBI.
How to make Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State picks
Snyder likes the under on the total and he has analyzed this matchup and discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing that CWS expert pick only on SportsLine.
So who wins Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the money line a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on, all from the baseball expert who went 26-18 in the 2020 MLB Playoffs.
