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The regular season of the NCAA baseball tournament is approaching its conclusion, as contending teams prepare for the season-ending conference tournaments that could ultimately determine the schools taking part in the College World Series.
However, five teams played their best college baseball during the season and are favored to win the national championship. Here are the top five teams who would likely clinch this year's national title.
Top 5 teams with the best odds of winning the College World Series 2024
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#5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+1400)
Wake Forest has been on a roll recently, winning nine straight games, including a three-game sweep of ACC rival Clemson this past weekend. The Demon Deacons are now 36-16 (15-12 in the ACC), placing themselves as one of the favorites in the ACC Tournament beginning on May 21 at the Truist Field in Charlotte.
Betting sites have given Wake Forest the fifth-best odds of winning the national championship at +1400. The Demon Deacons have the tools to make it to the final despite having a low OPS and a high ERA.
Transfer right-handed pitcher Chase Burns has led the pitching corps with a 10-1 record and a 2.85 ERA. He is the national leader in strikeouts with 154 Ks this season. LHP Josh Hartle (7-2, 5.32 ERA) and RHP Michael Massey (3-1, 4.22 ERA) must step up in the College World Series to give Wake Forest a chance of winning the national title.
#4. Clemson Tigers (+1200)
Despite starting with a 30-6 mark in its first 36 games, Clemson has been inconsistent in their last 14 games, going 7-7. The Tigers were swept in their three-game series against Wake Forest, which could affect their rankings in the ACC Tournament.
Betting sites have given Clemson (37-13, 17-10 ACC) a +1200 chance of winning the national crown due to its outstanding batting crew composed of Blake Wright, Jimmy Obertop, Jacob Hinderleider, Alden Mathes and Cam Cannarella. The five have combined for 63 home runs and 232 RBIs this season.
Their pitching corps isn't as superb as other teams in this list but they get the job done. Aidan Knaak is their most consistent starter with a 4-1 record in 12 starts. He has an ERA of 3.22 and has struck out 86 batters in 67 innings. Other standout hurlers include Tristan Smith (2-0, 51 Ks) and Billy Barlow (5-1, 4.60 ERA).
#3. Tennessee Volunteers (+750)
Tennessee (43-10, 19-8 SEC) is sizzling in the closing stages of the regular season. The Volunteers are 6-2 following series wins over Florida (2-1) and Vanderbilt (2-1) and one-off victories over Queens (NC) and Belmont.
Betting sites have given Tennessee the third-best odds of going all the way in the College World Series at +750 and D1 Baseball ranks them as No. 1 in the power rankings. The Volunteers are turning up the heat in long balls as they are second in home runs (134) and slugging percentage (.619) and third in OPS at 1.040. They are also third in runs scored at 505.
Christian Moore is the team's top hitter, hitting .377 and slugging 24 homers and 57 runs batted in. Four other hitters have smacked at least 15 HRs and 39 RBIs this season. Drew Beam (7-2, 3.75 ERA) has been the team's best starter, throwing two complete games in 13 starts. Nate Sneed and AJ Causey are tied for the team lead in most wins this season at eight.
#2 Arkansas Razorbacks (+600)
Arkansas (42-10, 19-8 SEC) has been patchy lately, going 4-3 in their first seven games this month.
Betting sites have given the Razorbacks the second-best odds of winning the national championship at +600 and this is due to their consistent pitching. Led by Hagen Smith (9-0, 1.65 ERA), Arkansas is second in the nation in ERA at 3.44.
The only chink in the Razorbacks' armor is their offense as they have an OPS of .833, which is 142nd in the nation. Second baseman Peyton Stovall leads the team in batting average, hitting .339, and has knocked down nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Wehiwa Aloy is the team's top slugger with 11 homers and 50 RBIs.
#1. Texas A&M Aggies (+500)
Betting sites have given Texas A&M (42-10, 17-10 SEC) the best odds of winning the national crown at +500 due to their balanced roster. The Aggies are fourth in OPS at 1.009 and eighth in ERA at 4.00.
Texas A&M is 12-10 against Quad 1 opponents while they are 30-0 against teams in Quadrants 2-4. The Aggies have five batters with an OPS of 1 or better with Jace LaViolette leading the group at 1.280 OPS. Braden Montgomery (1.254), Gavin Grahovac (1.052), Jackson Appel (1.016) and Caden Sorrell (1.007) are the other hitters with 1.000 OPS or better.
Ryan Prager (8-1, 2.71 ERA) leads the team in pitching while Evan Aschenbeck (4-1, 1.94 ERA) heads the Aggies' relievers with seven saves.
