College World Series odds: Tennessee, Texas A&M lead power rankings for title

The 2024 NCAA baseball tournament is down to the College World Series. Eight teams remain in contention for the 2024 championship with four from the ACC and four from the SEC.

Of the final eight teams left in the tournament, five were in the top eight national seeds in the opening round: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 North Carolina, and No. 8 Florida State. NC State, Virginia, and Florida broke through to make the final brackets.

SEC or ACC? 2024 College World Series bracket predictions, matchup picks, odds for Omaha

Only two of the final eight teams have won a title before: Florida (2017) and Virginia (2015). SEC teams have won the last four titles with LSU (2023), Ole Miss (2022), Mississippi State (2021), and Vanderbilt (2019) taking home the win. Will the conference continue its dominance? Could we see a new champion in 2024? Here's how the latest rankings look via odds from BetMGM:

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2024 Men's College World Series rankings by odds

1. Tennessee Volunteers (+250)

The Volunteers enter the final brackets as the unlucky No. 1 seed. It's been 25 years since the last No. 1 seed - Miami - won the College World Series. There's reason to have confidence in Tennessee, though, thanks to their power from the plate led by Christian Moore. Their 173 home runs is by far the most in the field. And five regulars have at least a 1.000 OPS. The pitching staff is solid but not as good as prior champions and could hold them back.

2. Texas A&M Aggies (+350)

The Aggies are yet to lose a game in the tournament this year. They went undefeated through the regionals and dispatched Oregon in two games in the super regionals. Unfortunately, Aggies standout and future top draft pick Braden Montgomery suffered a season-ending injury against Oregon. Sophomore Jace Laviolette and other hitters - including SEC Freshman of the Year Gavin Grahovac - will need to pick up the pace while ace Ryan Prager and a great bullpen hold things down at the mound.

3. Kentucky Wildcats (+450)

Like Texas A&M, Kentucky is undefeated in the tournament so far and has outscored teams 34-11 over five games. Unlike many of the power-hitting teams in the SEC, the Wildcats play aggressively and are one of the top teams in the country in stolen bases per game (2.00). They're no slouch from the plate and the Wildcats are batting 0.287. No. 1 pitcher Trey Pooser will lead the way from the mound but will need the rotation to step up like it did in the super regional round.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels (+700)

North Carolina's been tested en route to the College World Series. Defending champions LSU took them to three games in the regional. Vance Honeycutt's walk-off homer in the ninth sealed Game 1 against West Virginia in the super regional preceded a 2-1 victory to secure the Tar Heels' place in the final bracket. Honeycutt's one of the most talented players in the College World Series. Add in Shea Sprague and Jory DeCaro from the mound and North Carolina has the makings of a contender.

5. Florida State Seminoles (+750)

Florida State cruised through the first two rounds by going 5-0 and winning by a combined score of 58-20. Included in that was a 24-run explosion against UConn in the Super Regional. The Seminoles have arguably the best pitcher in the College World Series in sophomore Jamie Arnold. James Tibbs is a near-lock for the first round of the MLB Draft and is hitting 0.375 this season. As a team, the Seminoles boast a 0.975 OPS, one of the best in the field.

6. Virginia Cavaliers (+1000)

Virginia has a good case for the best offense in the field with Tennessee. The Cavaliers are batting 0.336 as a team this season, second in the country, with eight players hitting at least 0.330 (with at least 120 at-bats). They have a slight edge over the Volunteers in runs per game with 9.4 compared to 9.2. While their offense will keep them in contention, pitching is a bit of a concern. Their ERA (5.50) this season is sixth out of the eight teams remaining. Righty Jay Woolfolk is shining this postseason, though, with 14 strikeouts across two starts. He could make the difference from the mound.

7. NC State Wolfpack (+1000)

Three years ago, the Wolfpack saw their College World Series run cut short by a COVID-19 outbreak that sent them home on the brink of the finals. Ace Sam Highfill was part of that team as was head coach Elliott Avent. Their team ERA (6.09) is only slightly better than Florida's, which is among the worst in the field. But they've earned their place in these brackets with impressive wins like a 18-1 victory over Georgia in the Super Regional.

8. Florida Gators (+1400)

The Gators are back in the College World Series after falling to LSU 2-1 last year and going through one of the toughest schedules in the country this season. With Montgomery's injury, Florida boasts the best player in the College World Series in Jac Caglianone, who will likely be a top-15 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. They upset Clemson twice on the road to make it through the Super Regionals. They're experienced, talented, and playing some of their best ball of the season.

College World Series field preview: First-time winner seems likely in ACC-SEC invitational

2024 College World Series bracket schedule

Bracket 1

Friday, June 14

• Game 1: North Carolina vs. Virginia, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

• Game 2: Tennessee vs. Florida State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Sunday, June 16

• Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

• Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Tuesday, June 18

• Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wednesday, June 19

• Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, June 20 (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch

Bracket 2

Saturday, June 15

• Game 1: Kentucky vs. NC State, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

• Game 2: Texas A&M vs. Florida, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Monday, June 17

• Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN

• Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Tuesday, June 18

• Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wednesday, June 19

• Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, June 20 (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch

Championship Series

Saturday, June 22

• Game 1: Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, June 23

• Game 2: Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner, TBA, 2 p.m., ESPN

Monday, June 24

• Game 3: Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner, TBA, if necessary, 7 p.m., ESPN

How to watch 2024 College World Series

ESPN will provide live broadcast and streaming coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the Men's College World Series.

Streaming coverage is available on ESPN+.

HOW TO WATCH: Catch the men's College World Series with a subscription to ESPN+

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College World Series power rankings: Tennessee leads odds in Omaha