College Baseball Betting: Expert Picks for Friday, February 27

Not only do we have the excitement of another college baseball weekend, we have a Week 3 slate that is full-boat loaded.

There have been some great matchups so far, but let JohnnyVTV tell you, we ain't seen nothin' yet!

With many marquee matchups in several high-level annual tournaments, it was difficult to choose who gets the coveted Friday centerpiece slot in the Johnny V series. Fear not, I found it.

Oregon State Beavers (-210) vs. Houston Cougars (+160) | Total: N/A

We discussed these early-season tournaments in recent weeks. Well, we have another one in the Frisco Classic featuring Oregon State and Houston, along with Iowa and Alabama. We're set for an electric duel on Friday afternoon. 

Let's start off with Beavers phenom Dax Whitney. You probably read something about him if you read my articles last season or leading up to the current campaign, but if you aren't a college baseball fan or follower, or simply didn't hear what happened last week, fasten your seatbelt. 

Whitney was a star at Oregon State last year, flashing elite stuff behind a heater that touches triple digits. As one of the best pitchers in the country and the potential top pick in the 2027 MLB Draft, he is a man on a mission.

Last week against Baylor, Whitney fanned a whopping 17 batters over seven shutout innings. It was literally one of the best pitching performances you will ever see at the college level. He resemebles Dylan Cease, and he is not only a privilege to watch, but back as well.

Oregon State was one of my preseason picks to reach Omaha, and Whitney was a big reason why. One thing I highlighted as a growing pain, though, was essentially a brand-new offense that lost its four top producers. To date, the bats for the Beavers have done nothing to prove me wrong. A 4-3 Oregon State team has topped five runs only once and is averaging a minuscule 3.85 runs per game. If they are to weather the storm, they pretty much need Whitney to blank the opponent. He will have his work cut out for him Friday, as Houston looks like a dark horse in the Big 12 early on.

The 6-2 Cougars have some serious players in their lineup. We can't talk about Houston without mentioning the powerful Cade Climie, a legit Big 12 Player of the Year candidate. We also have to bring up a potential breakout in Tre Broussard, who is off to a 10-for-20 start to the year. Houston undoubtedly has some high-level contributors, and while it's unlikely they will see many -- if any -- pitchers of Whitney's caliber, they could put some runs on the board. That is especially true at a ballpark that has seen more runs being scored in recent years.

The Beavers will likely face an absolute hoss in 6-8, 250-pound starter Paul Schmitz, who has been with Houston since 2023. That kind of experience could very well allow him to silence the Oregon State bats. Despite the frame, Schmitz does not possess overpowering strikeout stuff, so the key is eliminating the free passes, which plagued him in the past. He has already faced better offenses in Wake Forest and UT Arlington and has tossed nine scoreless innings, so he will still be an imposing foe. This Oregon State offense has struggled to generate much of anything outside a few clutch hits, but when they do score, it mostly has started with walks or HBPs.

If you're Schmitz, there are three guys to be extra cautious of. Easton Talt is the X-factor and primary playmaker, Jacob Krieg is the big power threat and AJ Singer is the tone-setter and catalyst. If Schmitz can go out there and deliver five innings with less than three runs, I like Houston's chances.

I love Whitney. I have watched him in a lot and he has earned me some dough. I hate betting against him, but I'm not betting against him, per se. I'm betting against the ghastly Beaver bats. Even in that eye-popper last week, Oregon State almost lost. It took a clutch two-run single from Talt to walk away with a 3-1 win.

On a neutral field with an underwhelming offense, there's no way Oregon State should be a -210 favorite. There's a lot of hype on Whitney, so we could see some "buy-high" money on the Beavers, when it should be the other way. Houston is absolutely worth the play and should be closer to +124 or +130.

The Pick: Houston ML (+160 DraftKings)

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