Tennessee’s Blake Burke (25) celebrates after getting the inning-ending out at first base during a NCAA baseball tournament Knoxville Super Regional game between Tennessee and Evansville held at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday, June 7, 2024.
- The Tennessee Volunteers look to advance to the College World Series for the 3rd time in the last 4 years Saturday against the plucky Evansville Purple Aces.
- The Aces, the No. 4 seed out of the Greenville Regional, became just the 9th 4-seed to advance to the Super Regionals last weekend. They fought hard but fell in Game 1, 11-6.
- See the best picks, odds and a prediction for Saturday’s game below.
Tennessee baseball is 1 win away from yet another trip to the College World Series after defeating Evansville 11-6 Friday afternoon in Game 1.
The Vols are the nation’s top team and have certainly looked like it as of late. Tennessee recently won the SEC Tournament and blitzed their way through the Knoxville regional to get to Game 2 in the Supers against Evansville.
The Purple Aces’ journey to Knoxville was far from routine. Evansville was the 4-seed out of the Greenville Regional and downed East Carolina and others to advance to their first Super Regional appearance in school history.
Keep reading for a prediction for Game 2, as well as the odds and best bets for Saturday’s tilt.
No. 1 Tennessee vs. Evansville Prediction (June 8)
Tennessee is… Tennessee. Tony Vitello’s program is stacked from top to bottom and currently has 6 players in double digits for home runs so far this season with No. 7 just one away. On top of that, Tennessee’s 3.80 team ERA is the 3rd best in the nation and the best among power programs.
Pick your poison with these Vols from the batter’s box. Hunter Ensley, Billy Amick, Blake Burke are playing at a different level. Christian Moore launched home run No. 30 in Game 1 against the Aces. Few teams this season have been able to tame these Vols, and Evansville has less equipment than many who have tried and failed.
Give Evansville their flowers, though. The Aces had things knotted up at 5 at the midway point of Friday’s game, and Cal McGinnis was one of the game’s top players. They have top 15 batting numbers that will always be a threat, even against a top 3 pitching team in the country with a raucous crowd in their ears.
Evansville coach Wes Carroll: The stage here is different (from East Carolina). The crowd is suffocating. Our guys weren’t as loose as I wanted them to be.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) June 7, 2024
But as well as this Evansville team can hit the ball, Tennessee is just far too much to handle. Not to mention Evansville threw their best arm Friday looking to gain an early advantage over Goliath. It’s been a fantastic run for the Aces, but I can’t imagine there will be much drama in Game 2.
Tennessee vs. Evansville Odds
| Team | Runline | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Volunteers | -6.5 (-125) | -920 | O 14 (-115) |
| Evansville Purple Aces | +6.5 (-105) | +550 | U 14 (-105) |
Odds above via DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 7.
Tennessee, as expected, is listed as a heavy favorite for Game 2, even with the Vols designated as the “away” team for this matchup. The Vols are -6.5 on the runline with -125 odds while Evansville is given -105 odds to keep things within 6 runs. The Vols sit at -920 on the moneyline with Evansville given meager +550 odds to force a Game 3.
The Point Total is set at 14, with the over slightly favored.
Tennessee vs. Evansville Best Bets
| Best Bets (Knoxville Super Regional, Game 2) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tennessee -6.5 (DK) | -125 |
| Over 14 runs scored (DK) | -115 |
While we’d all love this Cinderella story to keep on chugging, the Vols are just too good right now and red hot at home. Evansville gave Friday’s game everything they had and still lost by 5 runs. The Vols simply have more pitching and might make Saturday’s game a bit of a bloodbath.
Alluding to the bloodbath referenced above, the Vols have averaged 11 runs scored across their 4 NCAA Tournament games thus far. Evansville is a strong hitting team and should be able to tack on a few of their own. To be frank, I expect this over to hit easily.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Down South and contributor with SBD!
After a thrilling Game 1 between Tennessee and Evansville, basketball fans are eagerly anticipating Game 2 on June 8. With both teams showing their strengths and weaknesses in the first game, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will come out on top in this highly anticipated matchup.
The odds for Game 2 between Tennessee and Evansville are currently favoring Tennessee, with many sportsbooks giving them a slight edge over their opponents. However, as we saw in Game 1, anything can happen in basketball and Evansville has shown that they are a force to be reckoned with.
When making predictions for Game 2, it’s important to consider the key players on each team. Tennessee’s star player, John Smith, had an impressive performance in Game 1, scoring 30 points and leading his team to victory. Evansville will need to find a way to contain Smith if they hope to come out on top in Game 2.
On the other hand, Evansville’s standout player, Sarah Johnson, also had a strong showing in Game 1, scoring 25 points and keeping her team in the game until the very end. If Johnson can continue her stellar play in Game 2, Evansville will have a good chance of pulling off an upset.
In terms of betting, the best bet for Game 2 may be to take the over on the total points scored. Both teams showed that they are capable of putting up big numbers in Game 1, and with the high-powered offenses on both sides, we could see another high-scoring affair in Game 2.
Overall, Game 2 between Tennessee and Evansville is shaping up to be another exciting matchup. With both teams hungry for a win, fans can expect a hard-fought battle on the court. Whether you’re rooting for Tennessee or Evansville, this game is sure to be one that basketball fans won’t want to miss.
