Who will win the College World Series in 2025? Odds, betting favorites, expert picks & more to know

Last year's College World Series exclusively included teams from the SEC and ACC. Even as college sports consolidate around a small number of conferences, this year's College World Series offers a refreshing burst of variety. 

With teams from at least five different conferences in addition to independent Oregon State, fans will get to see some fascinating matchups in Omaha. A new champion will also be crowned, after reigning champion Tennessee was eliminated in the super regionals.

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In fact, not a single team from the 2024 College World Series is returning to Omaha. Every team in the field fell short a year ago, so predicting who could complete the journey to a national championship is especially daunting.

Here's what you need to know about the 2025 College World Series, including the betting odds and predictions. 

2025 College World Series odds

All odds courtesy of BetMGM.

MORE: Who is in the 2025 College World Series?

Who will win the College World Series in 2025?

LSU and Arkansas will enter the College World Series as the betting favorites, ahead of the pack from the rest of the field. The two will face each other to start their journeys in Omaha, but it won't be an elimination game. 

College World Series favorites

Arkansas

Arkansas came about as close as a team can come to winning a national championship as one can come without actually winning a national championship in 2018. This Razorbacks team is looking to avenge that one, and it's built to do so.

Arkansas is ranked top-20 nationally in home runs, batting average and ERA, and their pitching staff appears to be improving in real time as Gage Wood puts together the best stretch of his up-and-down season. The Razorbacks have a first-round draft prospect in shortstop Wehiwa Aloy along with two more powerful bats in Charles Davalan and and Cam Kozeal. They have proven themselves against tough competition in the SEC, right down to a super regionals sweep of Tennessee.

An early loss to LSU could put Arkansas in a tough spot to start the College World Series, but a win would quickly catapult the Razorbacks into prime position in Omaha as arguably the most complete team in the field.

LSU 

If one team is going to challenge Arkansas for the label of most complete team, it's SEC rival LSU. The Tigers survived a regional scare against upset-minded Little Rock but looked like national championship contenders again when they quickly dispatched West Virginia in the super regionals.

Pitching is the Tigers' greatest strength. Aces Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson lead the way, with Anderson a contender to be selected No. 1 overall in July's MLB Draft. LSU's 11.9 strikeout per nine rate is third nationally and leads all College World Series teams.

While the Tigers' offense isn't quite as Arkansas' lineup, they do boast a big-time power bat in Jared Jones. Home runs will be crucial to their chances of making a title run, as LSU doesn't typically hit for as much contact as Arkansas.

College World Series sleepers

Coastal Carolina

Doubt Coastal Carolina at your own risk. Auburn might not have doubted the Chanticleers, but more than a few fans did. Coastal Carolina swept Auburn in the super regionals, coasting to the College World Series nine years after a memorable run to a national championship.

The Chanticleers are all about pitching. This isn't October, when pitching matters most of all in the MLB postseason, but it's still tremendously important. A breakthrough year from starter Jacob Morrison has helped turn Coastal Carolina into a national contender, and Riley Eikhoff, with only 10 walks in 80.2 innings this season, is another safe starting option. Coastal also boasts a potential first-round pick in catcher Caden Bodine. 

A lack of power could doom the Chanticleers against teams with plenty of big bats, but they flashed some offense in Game 1 against Auburn and closed out the Tigers with pitching in Game 2. That's the way Coastal Carolina has won all year, and opposing lineups are going to have to be well prepared for the Chanticleers' staff if they want to knock this team out in Omaha.

Arizona

The team that fell to Coastal Carolina at the end of the 2016 College World Series was none other than Arizona, and the Wildcats are hoping it's their turn to make a run to the title. Arizona showed terrific resilience in the super regionals, quickly putting an 18-2 drubbing behind them and winning the final two games against North Carolina to advance. 

The Wildcats seem to be hot at the right time after hitting some bumps in the Big 12. Arizona has won 10 of its last 11 games, and the 18-run demolition at the hands of the Tar Heels appears to just be a blip on the radar surrounded by some terrific pitching performances. Outside of that loss, the Wildcats have allowed just 2.3 runs per game since May 17.

If Arizona's staff can take that momentum to Omaha, the offense could have enough in the tank for a surprisingly deep run. Projected first-round pick Brendan Summerhill is a terrific contact bat, but it's imperative that Mason White and Aaron Walton continue to hit for power as the only intimidating home run hitters in the lineup.

Arizona is in the portion of the bracket that doesn't include LSU or Arkansas, so the path to a deep run is open as long as the team keeps playing the way it has been playing for the last three weeks.

College World Series prediction 2025

Favorites have a checkered history in the College World Series, but 2023 LSU (while not a No. 1 seed) and 2024 Tennessee fulfilled expectations by winning a national championship in the last two years. Co-favorite Arkansas could be next.

It's hard to find much of a weakness in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have six everyday hitters batting north of .300, and they jumped all over Tennessee ace Liam Doyle in the super regionals for five runs in less than four innings. Seven members of Arkansas' lineup have at least 13 home runs, including 20 from first-round draft prospect Wehiwa Aloy. It's the toughest lineup in the nation to navigate at the moment, and the Razorbacks' offense could take away LSU's biggest advantage by putting a dent in the Tigers' strong pitching staff.

LSU boasts two of the top three strikeout leaders in the nation in Anderson and Eyanson; Anderson had a shaky but passable start against Arkansas in the regular season, while Eyanson dominated the Razorbacks. When these two meet to start the College World Series, it will be worth watching whether that familiarity benefits such a talented Arkansas lineup. If the Razorbacks can do any damage against LSU's staff, the Tigers might not have the offense to match. 

Arkansas' staff, meanwhile, only seems to be getting better. Gage Wood still has an ERA north of five, but his peripherals have made him a rising MLB Draft prospect and are giving way to a much better finish to the season. After striking out 13 batters in the regionals against Creighton, Wood only allowed one run in 3.1 innings against Tennessee. With ace Zach Root already pitching well, Arkansas can go into the College World Series with a starting pitching tandem capable of handling the nation's toughest offenses.

LSU's aces might be better strikeout artists, but Arkansas leads the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio. As long as Razorbacks pitchers are keeping mistakes to a minimum, Arkansas can be considered the championship frontrunner.