Mississippi State's chances at the first national title in program history took a hit as it was trounced 8-2 by Vanderbilt in the opener of the 2021 College World Series best-of-three final on Monday. However, the situation isn't completely bleak for the Bulldogs, who hope to become the fifth team in the last six tournaments to recover from a Game 1 loss and capture the crown. Mississippi State (48-18) looks to take the first step when it takes on Vanderbilt (49-16) in Game 2 on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs have made just one other appearance in the final, losing to UCLA in 2013, while the Commodores are seeking their third title in their fourth trip to the championship series since 2014. First pitch at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Vanderbilt is the -125 favorite (risk $125 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 nine. 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. He also nailed Vanderbilt (-190) as the Game 1 winner.
Now, Snyder has dialed in on Game 2 of Vanderbilt vs Mississippi State. You can visit SportsLine now to see his expert picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt:
Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State moneyline: Vanderbilt -125, Mississippi State +105Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State run line: Vanderbilt -1.5 (+130)Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State over-under: 9 runs VAN: The Commodores are one victory away from their seventh 50-win season MSU: 3B Kamren James has reached safely in 12 consecutive gamesWhy you should back Vanderbilt
The Commodores understand what lies ahead for Mississippi State, as they lost the opener of the best-of-three series to Michigan in 2019 before battling back to win the championship. Therefore, they realize they can't take their foot off the pedal and would love for their offense to resemble the one that pounded out 14 hits in a tournament-opening 7-6 victory over Arizona. However, the Commodores proved they can take advantage of what's given to them should their bats go cold, as they managed only five hits on Monday but pushed across eight runs thanks in part to five walks a pair of hit batsmen.
Parker Noland has been a big contributor of late, driving in a run in each of his last three games while going 4-for-12 after recording just one hit in nine at-bats over his first two contests. C.J. Rodriguez was just 2-for-12 in his first three outings but has matched that hit total while also recording three RBIs and two runs scored in the last two games. Meanwhile, Dominic Keegan and Javier Vaz both have hit safely in four of Vanderbilt's five contests while ninth-place batter Jayson Gonzalez has registered two homers, six RBIs and four runs scored in the College World Series thus far.
Why you should back Mississippi State
Recent history is on the Bulldogs' side, as four of the last five national champions have bounced back from a loss in the opener. They received a strong effort from their bullpen on Monday, with five relievers combining to allow only two runs and three hits over 7 ⅓ innings. Meanwhile, Logan Tanner continues to swing a hot bat for Mississippi State after getting off to a slow start in the College World Series.
The sophomore catcher was hitless in seven at-bats over his first two games of the tournament but has gone 5-for-11 in his last three contests, recording two of the Bulldogs' five hits on Monday and driving in a run. Tanner has recorded an RBI in three consecutive games while James' homer in the series opener made him the only member of the team to reach safely in each postseason contest. Tanner Allen is 5-for-20 with a homer and four RBIs in the tournament and leads Mississippi State with a .381 batting average.
How to make Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State picks
Snyder likes the over on the run total, and he has analyzed this matchup and discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line. He's only sharing that pick on SportsLine.
So who wins Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State Game 2? 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, and find out
