No. 2 seed Kentucky will face No. 10 seed NC State the opener for both teams at the 2024 College World Series on Saturday afternoon. And the higher-seeded Wildcats are moderate favorites to move into the winners bracket.
Overall, though, the odds from FanDuel don’t demonstrate a huge split. Kentucky sits as the favorite at -145 on the moneyline. NC State is at +114.
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An over/under or run spread for the Saturday games is not yet out.
Offensively, both teams compare favorably. Kentucky has the No. 47 scoring offense compared to NC State having the No. 60 scoring offense. The Wildcats score 8 runs a game and the Wolfpack are good for 7.7 runs each time out.
Where the two teams diverge is with pitching and defense. Where the Wolfpack do most of its damage behind the bats, Kentucky has some advantages with pitching and defense.
The Wildcats boast a 4.95 staff ERA, the No. 52 national mark, a full 102 spots better than NC State’s No. 152 staff era of 6.09. And while both teams have not had any issues defensively, the Wildcats are a slight cut above defensively, ranked in the Top 20 in fielding percentage while NC State sits at No. 52.
So at a time when the finest margins matter, the little edges that Kentucky has might be the difference to come out ahead in the College World Series opener for each squad.
Game times, TV info for Omaha
All times ET.
June 14
- Game 1: North Carolina vs. Virginia, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 2: Tennessee vs. Florida State, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 15
- Game 3: Kentucky vs. NC State, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 4: Florida vs. Texas A&M, 67 p.m. | ESPN
June 16
- Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 6: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 17
- Game 7: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 18
- Game 9: TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 10: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 19
- Game 11: TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- Game 12: TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN
June 20
- Game 13 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. | TBD
- Game 14 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | TBD
June 22
- MCWS Final Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
June 23
- MCWS Final Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. | ABC
June 24
- MCWS Final Game 3 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. | ESPN
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