Florida State vs North Carolina Picks, Predictions & Starting Pitchers (June 18)

• Florida State and North Carolina meet in an elimination game in the College World Series
• Despite both being in the ACC, these two teams have not played each other this season
• Keep reading for the best Florida State vs North Carolina odds, picks, and starting pitchers for June 18

One more ACC team will be eliminated from the College World Series Tuesday afternoon as #8 Florida State (48-16) and #4 North Carolina (48-15) battle to keep their season alive.

After losing a heartbreaker to Tennessee in their first game, Florida State bounced back and eliminated Virginia with a 7-3 victory on Sunday. North Carolina defeated Virginia on a walk-off in the first game of the tournament then lost 6-1 to Tennessee. This will be the first time these two teams face off this season despite being in the same conference.

Florida State vs North Carolina Odds

FANATICS SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Bet $30 & Get $300 in Bonus Bets!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, KY, MD, OH, MI, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV); (888) 789-7777 or ccpg.org (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelpline.org (MA), mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1800gambler.net (WV)

One (1) sign up offer per user. Must place initial wager within 5 days of account opening. Terms apply. Offer available in AZ, MI, NJ, PA only.

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

BET $30
GET $300

SIGN UP NOW

Odds as of June 18. Claim the best Fanatics promo code to get a bonus for the College World Series. 

Florida State vs North Carolina Starting Pitchers

Each team’s #3 starter will go in this elimination game. Conner Whittaker, who is 5-0 with a 4.94 ERA will be on the mound for Florida State, while Aidan Haugh will start for North Carolina.

In his last outing, Whittaker pitched 3.1 innings against Tennessee and gave up three earned runs on six hits. In the NCAA Tournament, Whittaker has pitched 10.3 innings across three games and has struck out eight. His best outing came in the super regionals against UConn where he only allowed one hit across 3.2 innings of work. Whittaker has yet to eclipse four innings pitched in the NCAA Tournament, so he will do his best to eat up as many innings as he can against a North Carolina lineup that has been struggling of late.

Aidan Haugh has been used as both a starter and a reliever this season for the Tar Heels. Now facing elimination, he will be asked to start for North Carolina against a talented Florida State lineup. In his last outing against LSU, Haugh gave up four earned runs through three innings against the defending champs during regionals. Haugh is well-rested and will try to minimize Florida State’s power before the Tar Heels turn to closer Dalton Pence.

Conner Whittaker vs Aidan Haugh

Florida State vs North Carolina Predictions

The lineups of these teams could not be any different heading into this game. Florida State, who led the ACC in home runs, has scored 18 runs in their two College World Series games, while North Carolina has scored three runs or less in their last three games. The Tar Heels were one of the top lineups in the country this year, but have not scored over four runs in just one of their last six games. If they want to win this game, Vance Honeycutt and Co. will need to fix that.

This Florida State matchup gives North Carolina a chance to do that as Whittaker has not impressed in his last few starts. Even if these offenses return to form, this should be a lower scoring game than many would think. Charles Schwab Field is a pitcher’s ballpark already and the wind in Omaha is expected to be blowing in on Tuesday, which will negate the Seminoles’ home run power. Then North Carolina has the big edge when it comes to the bullpen. Pence did not pitch against Tennessee, so he will be well-rested and ready to go for as long as he is needed on Tuesday. Pence is one of the top closers in college baseball, and it would not surprise me if the Tar Heels turn to him quickly.

This should be an exciting matchup between ACC teams, and I believe North Carolina will squeeze out the win to get a rematch with Tennessee.

Florida State vs North Carolina Pick: North Carolina (-105)