LSU vs Florida Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for College World Series Game 1 (Don't Expect a High-Scoring Showdown)

The 2023 College World Series Final gets underway on Saturday with an exciting Game 1 showdown between the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators in Omaha, Nebraska.

LSU vs Florida Game Info

• Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Venue: Charles Schwab Field – Omaha, NE
• Coverage: ESPN, ESPN+

This is familiar territory for these teams as LSU and Florida have combined for seven national titles and even met head-to-head in the 2017 College World Series Final. The Gators came out on top in that clash and will look to do so again this weekend, while the Tigers will aim to exact revenge.

LSU vs Florida Odds & Spread

• All College Baseball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LSU: (+106) | FLA: (-136)
• Spread: LSU: +1.5 (-192) | FLA: -1.5 (+146)
• Total: 10.5 -- Over: (+100) | Under: (-132)

Florida enters this contest as the favorite on the spread and moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. The over/under for this 7 p.m. clash is set at 10.5 runs with the Under favored at -132 odds.

LSU vs Florida Betting Trends

• LSU is 15-6 straight up in its last 21 games.
• Florida is 16-3 straight up in its last 19 games.
• LSU is scoring an average of 6.8 runs in its last 10 games.
• Florida is scoring an average of 5.1 runs in its last 10 games.
• LSU is 6-5 straight up in its last 11 matchups against Florida.

LSU vs Florida Prediction & Pick

LSU ace Paul Skenes is not expected to take the mound unless a crucial Game 3 takes place on Monday after logging 8 scoreless innings on Thursday night. However, that does not mean that the Tigers should be counted out. After all, they have posted the 20th-best team ERA in the nation (4.30).

Florida enters Saturday with a bit of a rest advantage given the team was last on the diamond in Omaha on Wednesday night. Brandon Sproat could very well draw the start in Game 1 as he has been Florida's best pitcher this year. He allowed 1 earned run in 6 1/3 innings against Virginia on June 16.

With all that being said, expect a close-fought game as each side looks to grab a 1-0 series lead. I find myself leaning toward trusting the Gators, as they have the firepower to give Sproat an early lead after slugging 7 home runs across three games in Omaha. That'll help him keep on dominating.

Final Score Prediction: LSU: 4 | Florida: 5

LSU vs Florida Best Bet

These two offenses are certainly capable of breaking out on Saturday night with huge performances. However, it would be surprising to see considering fewer than 11 runs have been scored in seven of the eight College World Series games involving either one of these teams. Also keep in mind that each side's pitching staff is giving up fewer than 3.7 runs per game in Omaha, so back another low-scoring game here.

Bet: Under 10.5 Total Runs (-132)

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.