Here's What Vegas Thinks of WVU's Chances Against Troy

The Mountaineers open as favorites for their first College World Series game.

WVU Athletics Communications

To open up the College World Series, it will be a pair of teams making their first-ever trips to Omaha in West Virginia and Troy.

The Mountaineers had some incredible comebacks in the Morgantown Regional over Kentucky before clobbering Cal Poly in the supers. The Trojans were the No. 3 seed in the Gainesville Regional and shockingly beat Miami and then host Florida twice to advance. They, too, didn't have much of a sweat in the super regional, sweeping Little Rock.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

I don't think it would surprise anyone that West Virginia is considered the favorite for this game. They were a national seed while Troy snuck into the NCAA Tournament with 29 losses. It was really just a matter of how pricey the Mountaineers would be on the moneyline, and now we know. West Virginia is -210 while Troy is +160. There is no run line or over/under listed as of early Wednesday morning.

Do the odds make sense?

WVU Athletics Communications

Troy is not going to be a walk in the park by any means. They are a surging club that is playing with belief and confidence, which is what makes them so dangerous. But the big problem for them is how their pitching matches up against West Virginia's.

The Mountaineers enter Omaha with the best team ERA (3.82) of the eight schools left, while Troy ranks dead last (5.64). Not to mention, the Trojans rank 305th nationally out of 308 in hits allowed and 216th in walks. West Virginia's lineup is not one you want to give free passes to or allow to accumulate traffic on the bases because they will make you pay with their speed.

West Virginia will have the luxury of picking between Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl or Chansen Cole, who may be the better of the two of late. They were the top two pitchers in the Big 12 in ERA, and when they're humming, it can be a tough day at the ballpark for opposing hitters.

Troy can certainly pull off the upset, but they're going to need to get to West Virginia's starting pitcher early and get better-than-expected production out of their starter, which will likely be Benjamin Stubbs (4.93 ERA).

So yes, WVU being a fairly heavy favorite makes sense on paper.

First pitch between West Virginia and Troy at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.