Baylor vs Gonzaga Basketball Prediction, Odds & Picks (12/2)

Early losses for Baylor and Gonzaga have taken some of the air out of tonight’s neutral site matchup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. But it is still must-see TV, and not just because it is by far the biggest game on Friday’s college basketball schedule.

Two seasons ago, the Bears and Bulldogs met for the national championship, with Gonzaga’s hopes of a perfect season ruined in resounding fashion by Baylor, who dominated in an 86-70 win to cut down the nets at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Their long-awaited rematch is a game that both will want to win after the early setbacks they have suffered.

There’s no shame for Baylor in losing to Virginia at the Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas, but on Tuesday, they were blown away in a 96-70 loss to Marquette at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Gonzaga has already been on the receiving end of two such defeats, as they fell by 19 at Texas and then by 18 to Purdue at the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland last week.

Are we in for a close game in Sioux Falls? Keep reading for our Baylor vs Gonzaga prediction, along with betting picks for the matchup.

Baylor Bears vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• #6 Baylor Bears (5-2) vs #14 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-2)
• Venue & Location: Sanford Pentagon (Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Date: Friday, December 2, 2022
• Game Time: 8:00 pm ET (7:00 pm local time)
• How to Watch Baylor vs Gonzaga: Peacock

Baylor vs Gonzaga Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, December 2, 2022, at 4:55 pm ET. This article may also mention odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Baylor -2.5 (-110)
• Gonzaga +2.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 160.5 (-105)
• Under 160.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Baylor -140
• Gonzaga +116

Over or Bust?

Based on what we have seen from these two teams in their games against quality competition, we should expect a lot of points for tonight’s matchup.

Notable Results for Baylor

• lost 86-79 vs Virginia (Continental Tire Main Event)
• won 80-75 vs UCLA (Continental Tire Main Event)
• lost 96-70 at Marquette

Notable Results for Gonzaga

• won 64-63 vs Michigan State (Armed Forces Classic)
• lost 93-74 at Texas
• won 88-72 vs Kentucky
• lost 84-66 vs Purdue (Phil Knight Legacy)
• won 88-84 vs Xavier (Phil Knight Legacy)

Both teams have certainly been tested so far, and this isn’t the last non-conference test for Gonzaga, who will host Washington next Friday and then travel to Birmingham to take on Alabama two weeks from tomorrow.

Those early tests have revealed some concerns for both teams.

The loss to Baylor in the title game two seasons ago is one of the few times in recent memory that we have seen Gonzaga be run off of the court. But it has already happened twice season, as they were brushed aside with ease by the Longhorns in Austin and overrun in the second half in their loss to Zach Edey and the Boilermakers.

If there is something positive to note for Gonzaga, it’s that they are 4-0 when they score 80+ points. And while they didn’t look good against Texas and Purdue, they did put up 88 points against Kentucky and did the same against a Xavier team that has the potential to make a lot of noise this season.

It must be noted though that he Bears are 5-0 when they score 80+ points, so will the first team to 85 get the win? I used this line the other day when Baylor faced Marquette, and it proved to be true, but not in the way I figured it would with Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles recording a dominant win.

Tough competition hasn’t necessarily brought out the best in Baylor, so it will be interesting to see if that happens tonight.

Sure, they did beat UCLA in Las Vegas, but they were disastrous defensively against Virginia and Marquette. The Cavaliers shot 64.3 percent from three and 55.6 percent from the field overall, while the Golden Eagles made 12 of 25 from three and shot 58.3 percent overall from the field.

Baylor vs Gonzaga Prediction and Picks

Baylor vs Gonzaga Prediction: Gonzaga to win

Baylor vs Gonzaga Picks: Gonzaga ML (Best Value: -140 at BetOnline & Bovada Sportsbook) & Baylor/Gonzaga over (Best Value: over 160.5 @ -105 at BetOnline)

Baylor’s defensive struggles against Virginia and Marquette raise some serious alarm bells for this matchup.

Gonzaga comes into the game shooting 51.8 percent from the field overall and 40.7 percent from three. In their most recent game, the win over Xavier last Sunday, they shot 50 percent overall (31 of 62) and a season-high 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from three.

Can they put in another such performance tonight against Baylor? The Bears will certainly be high on motivation after Tuesday’s blowout loss, but this is not really the ideal matchup to have to navigate when you just got taken for almost 100 points.

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