- Miami faces Louisville in Game 1 of the Louisville Super Regional on Friday
- The winner of the 3-game series advances to the College World Series
- Check out my Miami vs Louisville Game 1 picks and predictions below
The Miami Hurricanes last won the College World Series in 2001, marking their fourth title. Louisville Cardinals, however, have never secured the championship. On Friday, they begin Game 1 of a best-of-3 series in the Super Regionals, featuring 16 teams vying for the 2025 national title. The eight Super Regional winners will proceed to the College World Series in Omaha, where they’ll compete in two double-elimination brackets, each with four teams.
The odds favor Louisville over Miami in Game 1 of this series, with the opening pitch scheduled for 3pm ET on Friday, June 6, at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, KY, broadcasted on ESPN2/ESPN+.
Miami vs Louisville Odds
The Cardinals are -175 favorites on the moneyline, with a 63.64% implied win probability. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are +135, with a 42.55% implied probability. Louisville is -1.5 (+100) on the runline, and the total is set at 12 runs with -115 odds each way. The losing team in the opening game still has a chance to win the series with victories in Games 2 and 3.
Odds as of June 4 at DraftKings.
Miami vs Louisville Picks & Predictions
- Louisville Runline (+100 at DraftKings)
The teams did not meet during the 2025 season. Their last encounter was last year, with Miami winning 8-5 in the ACC Baseball Championship. Historically, the matchup offers no clear advantage, with Miami holding a slight 12-11 lead in the series.
Which Miami team will appear? They’ve been inconsistent all season, losing six out of their last seven regular season games. However, in the Hattiesburg Regional, they won 5-3 against Alabama and dominated Columbia 14-1. Miami then suffered a 17-6 loss to 16th-seeded Southern Miss but bounced back with a narrow 5-4 win to reach the Louisville super regional.
Their erratic performance and pitching issues earlier in the season remain concerning. Only three pitchers have an ERA below 4.00. The offense is led by Daniel Cuvet, who tops the team in home runs (17) and RBI (81), 25 more than the runner-up Dorian Gonzalez Jr.
Previous Five Men’s College World Series Winners
No winner in 2020 due to COVID
Louisville, favored in this contest, won all three games in the Nashville regional. They triumphed over East Tennessee State, 8-3, upset No. 1 Vanderbilt, 3-2, and shut out fourth-seeded Wright State, 6-0, in the regional final.
Louisville has fared well against ranked opponents to reach this stage. Though their pitching was strong leading up to the super regional, it hasn’t been consistent. Starter Patrick Forbes boasts an impressive 98 strikeouts in 60.1 innings but has a 4.62 ERA. The bullpen has been crucial, often making up for the shaky starting rotation.
This is Miami’s first super regional since 2016, while Louisville returns for the first time since 2022. The Hurricanes have rebounded from last season’s poor 27-30 record, their first sub-.500 season since 1957. Like Miami, Louisville lost six of their last seven games before a perfect 3-0 run in the Nashville regional.
The Cardinals’ hitting is a key strength, with a .306 batting average, while opponents have a 7.81 ERA against them, compared to 5.88 for Miami. Four Cardinals have 50+ RBIs, providing a balanced offensive strategy. Given Miami’s inconsistent pitching and Louisville’s strong performance in the Nashville regionals, I’ll wager on the Cardinals run line of -1.5 at +100.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com
