This article is part of our College Baseball Picks series.
Texas vs Georgia College Baseball Best Bets Today
We're approaching the halfway point in the season, but there is still so much to be settled before the NCAA Tournament gets underway. An interesting development is I at least thought all the lines would be out for today when about six big matchups were posted around 4pm ET on Thursday... but then it stopped. We have a limited selection to choose from, but they're all terrific showdowns, so we'll figure something out.
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Texas vs Georgia Odds
Georgia Bulldogs (-145)
Texas Longhorns (+114)
Total: N/A
Both of these teams should look familiar to you considering I dedicated a Future Wednesday piece to each of them. I can't lie, this matchup gets me giddy with the fireworks and amount of talent we're going to see. A showdown between two top-five ranked teams won't disappoint between a couple of a red-hot ball clubs.
Texas has steadily climbed the D1 Baseball Top 25 ranks over these last few weeks, and for good reason. Sitting at 23-4 (8-1 in SEC), they swept Mississippi State at a tough place to play in Dudy Noble Field. Their series win against LSU was a loud statement. And their emphatic sweep at Mizzou last week was also impressive. The Horns are winning with balance and contribution from a lot of different sources with pitching and hitting, which is a Jim Schlossnagle signature.
One of the reasons why the Longhorns were a preseason Omaha 8 team for me was not just because of the talent but how this accomplished coach and his pitching coach, Max Weiner, would help transform a weakness from last season, the pitching. It's been exactly that thus far with the Texas staff doing a complete 180. The ERA ranks third in the country (3.09) behind Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
A big part of this resurgence has been the Indiana State transfer, ace Jared Spencer. His 3.62 ERA, 47 K/16 BB ratio in 37.1 innings have provided a lot of reliability and stability in this staff. Granted, he's been a bit shaky since SEC play started, allowing at least four earned in under six innings in all three of them. Still, Spencer's presence has given a sense of confidence to the rest of his team. Now, he may see his toughest test of the year in the Georgia Bulldogs' murderous offense.
Yes, UGA still leads the nation in homers (84), OPS (1.095), WRC+ (189), WOBA (.462), and runs scored (327). Probably a few others as well, but you get the idea. We knew this lineup was disgusting last year with Charlie Condon and Corey Collins leading the charge, but I have to say it may actually be better this season, as hard as it is to believe. Coming into the year, it was expected to be pretty good, but nowhere near this level.
In all fairness, I'm expecting a little bit of regression over the course of the season for the Dawgs, even with the lineup. They've faced a lot of layup matchups and easy pitchers so far, but now Spencer poses as one of the better arms they will have seen. Samuel Dutton for Auburn last week held them to four runs thanks to a couple of mistakes in a hitter's park. As long as Spencer keeps the ball down and doesn't elevate mistake pitches, the ball has a good chance of staying in the yard. UGA can beat teams in a lot of ways, but their avalanches tend to start with the long ball.
For UGA, their pitching has been a lot better these last couple weeks, but it still needs a big tune-up. I'll put it to you this way, out of all four units in this series between offenses and pitching, the Georgia pitching is the thing I'd be most unsure of. Charlie Goldstein is getting the ball again, and he was so lucky last week against Auburn I hope he bought a lottery ticket. Twice in the first three innings, the Tigers had the bases juiced but couldn't cash in.
Goldstein is still working back from injury, but the early sample size is not good. A 6.92 ERA and 12 walks in 13 innings to go along with four taters allowed. His good fortune last week is a tough one to repeat and going against a much better team in the Horns, he'll have to be much better. Texas is coming at you with contact, power, and speed.
Like UGA, they get tons of production from every part of their lineup. Unfortunately, their star player and '25 first-rounder Max Belyeu - yes, my Golden Spikes cornerstone - is slated to likely miss the rest of the regular season with a fractured thumb. So sickening. Of course, it's a huge loss for many reasons, but the Horns were not built around one player, so I expect them to pick up the pieces and move forward.
Without Belyeu, I give UGA's offense a very slight advantage in this series, but the Texas pitching has a huge edge for me. The Longhorns staff is one of the better ones the Dawgs will see this season, so let's see how they handle it during the series. Because they are riding so high with a ton of flair, UGA is being thought of as this invincible entity when in reality, they haven't played anybody that's a legit title contender. The overreaction has allowed them to be a -145 favorite on a Friday night at top-five Texas with a pitching disadvantage. Absolutely incorrect.
Series Preview: Texas has a huge advantage on Sunday with likely Ruger Riojas and Dylan Volantis going. As a result I like them to take the series.
Pick: Texas ML +114 (DK)
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