The No. 9 Baylor Bears (20-13) go head-to-head against the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (31-3) in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Bears opened as a 12.5-point underdog. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 148 points and action starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23, 2019.
Baylor Bears vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs ATS Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Bulldogs dismantled the No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights 87-49, while the Bears defeated the No. 8 Syracuse Orange 78-69.
Baylor played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal effective field goal percentage of 0.692 (above their season average of 0.509) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 34.6 (below their season average of 38.3). For those same stats, Syracuse put up marks of 0.529 and 33.3, respectively. Meanwhile, Gonzaga dominated nearly every stat category in their game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 (above their season average of 30.6) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.602 (above their season average of 0.596). For those same stats, Fairleigh Dickinson had marks of 23.8 and 0.360, respectively. Gonzaga was lifted by Rui Hachimura, who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Makai Mason had a good outing for Baylor, recording 22 points.
Of the Bears’ 33 games, 17 have finished over the projected point total. Baylor comes into the contest with records of 20-13 straight up (SU) and 18-13-2 against the spread (ATS).
Contrary to Baylor, just over half of Bulldogs games have finished under the O/U total. Further, Gonzaga owns records of 31-3 SU and 22-12 ATS.
The aggressive Gonzaga offense looks poised to dominate from the free throw line. The Bulldogs rank 52nd in the country with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.272, while Baylor is among the NCAA’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 255th-ranked FTA rate of 0.249).
Baylor Bears vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Gonzaga, ATS Winner – Gonzaga, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Gonzaga ranks third in blocks allowed per game (2.0) while Baylor ranks 211th (4.2).
- The Bulldogs rank 27th in rebounds per game (38.9) while the Bears rank 53rd (37.8).
- The Bulldogs rank fifth in assists per game (18.1) while the Bears rank 137th in assists allowed per game (12.8).
- Gonzaga ranks 42nd in steals per game (7.6) while Baylor ranks 152nd (6.2).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 77.8 points per game (11.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.8 points per game (3.8 below their season average).
- The Bears have been outscored by an average of 5.0 points in their last five games. For the season, Baylor has defeated opponents by an average of 4.6 points.
