It’s been 14 years since the LSU Tigers last hoisted the hardware in Omaha, reaching the College World Series three times but never winning it all in the interim.
But Louisiana sports betting oddsmakers see that drought ending this spring, thanks to the star-studded cast coach Jay Johnson brings back to Baton Rouge.
The Tigers, after falling to Southern Mississippi in the Hattiesburg Super Regional as a two-seed a year ago, enter 2023 with some serious momentum and a top-tier recruiting class at their backs.
That combination has led Louisiana mobile betting apps like DraftKings Sportsbook to list the Tigers as their pick as the favorite to win the College World Series, at +500 odds ahead of fellow SEC foe Tennessee (+600).
In total, seven SEC teams make up the top-eight NCAA title favorites on DraftKings.
LouisianaBets.com looked at the field of competitors to see where LSU ranks as we fast approach the 2023 college baseball season.
Here’s what we found for the Tigers, entering what should be a historic season on the bayou.
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LSU Ready For NCAA Title Chase
A year ago, a youthful Tigers team finished Year One of the Johnson era with a third-place finish in the SEC West, going 40-22 overall and 17-13 in conference play.
The Tigers’ offense was led by outfielder Dylan Crews, who bashed 22 home runs and 72 RBIs while hitting .349 in the heart of the team’s order, and infielder Jacob Berry, who had a 1.094 OPS and 15 home runs in his first season after transferring from Arizona.
Even with Berry getting picked by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, LSU returns an embarrassment of riches, headed by Crews.
Expect Ma’Khail Hilliard, who led the team in wins (seven) and innings pitched (77.0), to anchor the pitching staff, while fellow starter Blake Money looks to make his mark as a junior.
Money delivered a year ago, tossing the second-most innings (61.0) of any Tiger, while finishing with a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Crews, along with infielders Tommy White and Tre’ Morgan were named to the preseason All-SEC team. The conference’s media corps also gave the Tigers the most votes to win the 2023 SEC Championship (11), with no other program earning more than one vote apiece.
Ahead of the start of the NCAA baseball season, check out our LSU odds page.
Games to Watch As No. 1 Tigers Take Field
LSU kicks off the 2023 season against Western Michigan this weekend, before hosting crosstown program Southern in a mid-week matchup next Tuesday.
From there, the preseason No. 1 team will play Kansas State, Iowa, and Sam Houston State at the 2023 Round Rock Classic, before taking on Texas on Feb. 28.
The Tigers kick off the 2023 SEC season with a three-game road trip against Texas A&M in mid-March and open the conference slate at home against Arkansas between March 24 and 26.
From there, LSU has home series against Tennessee (March 30-April 1), Kentucky (April 13-15), Alabama (April 28-30), and Mississippi State (May 12-14), to go with road trips to play South Carolina (April 6-8), Ole Miss (April 21-23), Auburn (May 5-7) and Georgia (May 18-20).
The 2023 SEC Tournament takes place in Hoover, Ala., between May 23 and May 28, while the NCAA Regional Round is June 2-5. You're more likely to consistently find betting markets for these high profile games across betting sites like Caesars Sportsbook Louisiana compared to random games throughout the season.
