Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Regionals Game (Commodores Benefit From Experience)

A team's journey to the College World Series can look much different than another's, which is certainly the case in a matchup between the Eastern Illinois Panthers and Vanderbilt Commodores.

Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Game Info

• Date: Friday, June 2, 2023
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Hawkins Field – Nashville, TN
• Coverage: SEC Network/ESPN+

Eastern Illinois is set to make its first NCAA Baseball Tournament appearance since 2008 after it ran through the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament behind a 38-19 regular season record. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is making its 17th straight regional appearance after winning the SEC Tournament (41-18 record).

Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Odds & Spread

• All College Baseball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: EIU: (+540) | VAND: (-900)
• Spread: EIU: +4.5 (-114) | VAND: -4.5 (-114)

Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Betting Trends

• Vanderbilt is 4-0 straight up across four all-time matchups against Eastern Illinois.
• Eastern Illinois has scored at least 4 runs in 17 of its last 18 away games.
• Vanderbilt is 9-1 straight up in its last 10 home games.

Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick

Vanderbilt is hosting an NCAA regional for the seventh time in the last 10 years and has captured two National Championships during that span. It's safe to say the Commodores know what it takes to win when everything is on the line. That should serve them well at home, where they own a 25-6 record.

Of course, that doesn't bode well for Eastern Illinois. The Panthers have only played in five games at the NCAA Tournament level, losing four of them. Facing a Vanderbilt squad that ranks seventh in WHIP (1.27) and 21st in ERA (4.31) is not exactly the matchup they were hoping for in the regional.

This is the time of year in which the Commodores step up, so I'm not fading them on Friday night.

Final Score Prediction: Eastern Illinois: 4 | Vanderbilt: 9

Eastern Illinois vs Vanderbilt Best Bet

Not only did Vanderbilt run through a stacked field in the SEC Tournament, but it did so with relative ease. The Commodores followed up a close loss to Florida with three straight wins by at least a 5-run margin. A team that had been carried by its pitching staff all season long has suddenly found its groove at the plate, too. That is a scary improvement and one that makes a blowout win seem likely.

Bet: Vanderbilt Commodores -4.5 (-114)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.