The 2022 Women’s College World Series is finally coming to a close. What began as eight teams vying for a chance at the NCAA National Championship title has now dwindled to two Big 12 teams fighting for the top spot.
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns go head to head in the first game of a winner-take-all series battle this Wednesday night.
Let’s take a look at both teams and see what sportsbooks have to say about their odds of taking home the 2022 WCWS title.
Oklahoma Sooners softball
Oklahoma came out of the gate shaky on Monday afternoon in Game 11 against the UCLA Bruins. The Sooners gave over a 7-3 loss to the Bruins, forcing an additional “if-necessary” game to determine the winner.
The first matchup saw Grace Lyons log a two-run hit, while Jayda Coleman aided with one RBI. Then everyone came out to play in the second faceoff.
Oklahoma successfully forced a 15-0 shutout — the widest gap in the history of the WCWS. In the fifth inning alone, the Sooners scored an astonishing eight runs.
Super senior Jocelyn Alo alone logged two homers and a grand slam during the game for three runs and seven RBI.
The ladies have led quite a storied season to get to this point, making this substantial win the cherry on top. The Sooners now advance to the WCWS championship for the third consecutive year.
This year, however, they’ll face a slightly more unanticipated opponent.
Texas Longhorns softball
No NCAA tournament would be truly complete without a heartfelt underdog story fleshing out in the process. Luckily, the 2022 WCWS Championship Finals features just the team.
The unseeded Texas Longhorns faced the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowgirls Monday night, forcing an if-necessary Game 2 via a 5-0 shutout. Oklahoma State initially made a comeback in Game 2, upping Texas 5-0 by the bottom of the third inning. But the Longhorns soon adjusted for the difference in astounding fashion.
First came a three-run homer by Courtney Day, then Texas scored three more runs thanks to Bella Dayton and three costly errors made by Oklahoma in the fifth inning. The Longhorns ultimately finished with a 6-5 win to advance to the final round.
Now, Texas prepares for its first-ever national championship appearance.
2022 WCWS: Oklahoma vs. Texas betting odds
The Longhorns and Sooners begin a best two-of-three series this Wednesday night. This battle between border rivals is being dubbed the Red River National Title Showdown.
Although individual game odds have yet to be posted, select sportsbooks currently offer futures odds on the two remaining teams.
Caesars Sportsbook situates Texas as the substantial underdog in this upcoming matchup, giving them +400 odds of winning the overall WCWS title.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, carries -550 odds of becoming an NCAA Championship winner.
The Sooners boast five NCAA championship titles from their 14 WCWS appearances — walking away with the title almost one out of every three attempts.
Their first championship win came in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2013 that they secured their second. Oklahoma’s next title came in 2016, followed by another in 2017. Their most recent came just last year at the 2021 WCWS.
This year’s series could very well result in another back-to-back title win for the defending champs. But it could also mark the start of a new drought for the Sooners.
Texas Longhorns’ long odds look good
The hearty Texans certainly shouldn’t be ruled out quite yet. They’ve already made history as the first unseeded team to ever reach the finals.
Moreover, recent matchups have seen the Longhorns fare well against Oklahoma. This past April, for instance, they broke the Sooners’ 40-game win streak.
An Oklahoma upset in this upcoming series would make Texas the reigning WCWS champs much sooner than later.
Texas fans went wild Monday night after the Longhorns hooked their Cowgirl opponents, leaving many to believe they’ll manage another upset in the finals.
With the Longhorns’ current +400 odds, a $5 bet would return $25 to your wallet.
A $5 bet on favored Oklahoma, on the other hand, would make you a full .91 cents richer if the Sooners walk away with the title.
This Wednesday’s Game 1 is being broadcast on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Keep your eyes peeled on this page — we’ll have updates on the first matchup’s odds as soon as they’re posted.
Then tune in to Game 2 on ESPN2 beginning this Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
In the event of a tie, a final Game 3 will take place on Friday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
