Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Baylor Bears Betting Picks

The 3-0 Gonzaga Bulldogs will face off with the 3-0 Baylor Bears on Saturday afternoon in Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. This is the first and second ranked team in the country and this is sure to be a thriller. The Bulldogs come in as 2.5-point favorites and we’re expecting more than our fair share of points with a over/under. You can tune in on CBS and you will want to if you’re a CBB fan. These two teams will likely be in the Final Four. Let’s dive into how this one will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of my NCAAB Picks and Predictions for the upcoming weekend.

• Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
• Bears are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
• Over is 8-1 in Bulldogs last 9 neutral site games.
• Over is 6-1 in Bears last 7 overall.

The Bulldogs offense has been phenomenal to this point, ranking 12th in pace and putting up nearly 100 points per game. Freshman Jalen Suggs has taken over the PG role and he’s been elite. He also has a phenomenal backup in Andrew Nembhard behind him, who can step up whenever needed and takes a lot of pressure off of Suggs.

Forwards Drew Timme and Corey Kispert are still the anchors of this offense and both have averaged 20+ PPG through the first three games. Joel Ayayi does it all, scoring 13.7 points on top of 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He’s the glue guy ever great CBB team needs. This team is going to push the pace and force Baylor to run. The Gonzaga big men must avoid getting into foul trouble as the depth there is a bit troubling.

The Bears want to slow it down, ranking 283rd in pace thus far. It’s early and they won’t end up being that slow, but compared to Gonzaga, this team wants to slow it down. They don’t rely on any single player, but Jared Butler is the team’s superstar. He’s a contender to win National Player of the Year and he’s a tough matchup for the Bulldogs. He’s put up 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game to this point.

MaCio Teague, Adam Flagler, and Davion Mitchell have all been in double-digits per game and they make this team impossible to stop. They have four guards that can put up 20 points on any given night and they can also all handle the ball. Down low, the Bears rely heavily on Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Mark Vital. Vital is only 6’5, but plays Barkley style with a bit less athleticism.

This game will come down to which team can control the pace. If Gonzaga is ever to force the pace, the Bears will struggle to stay with them and keep up. If Baylor is able to slow it down, they’re the more effective halfcourt offense and the Bulldogs will inevitably fall into foul trouble where it hurts most. I’m a fan of the Bears winning this game outright and the couple of points are a nice insurance. The Bears just might be the best team in College Basketball this season.

If I think Baylor wins, it’s because I expect them to successfully slow the game down. That means the under will hit as well and this is an extremely high number anyway. Even if Baylor joins into the fast-paced nature of the Bulldogs, it’ll take close to a perfect game for this number to go over.