The Gonzaga Bulldogs have squared off against the Baylor Bears on five previous occasions, with each finishing in their favor. After winning four straight single-digit decisions, Gonzaga posted an 83-71 victory in their most recent meeting, which took place in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs (31-0) look to remain perfect in the all-time series when they face the Bears (27-2) on Monday in the 2021 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game. Gonzaga is aiming to extend its school-record winning streak to 36 games after needing overtime to edge UCLA 93-90 in the Final Four.
Tip-off from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is set for 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS. The Bulldogs are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Gonzaga vs. Baylor odds at William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 159.5. Before finalizing any Baylor vs. Gonzaga picks, you need to check out the 2021 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game predictions from SportsLine's Josh Nagel.
A Nevada-based handicapper with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel has had a particularly keen eye for the Bears. He is 14-5 in his last 19 against the spread college basketball picks involving Baylor, earning a profit of $868. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, he has set his sights on Baylor vs. Gonzaga in the 2021 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Gonzaga vs. Baylor:
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor spread: Gonzaga -4.5
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor over-under: 159.5 points
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor money line: Bulldogs -200, Bears +175
- ZAGS: The Bulldogs lead the nation in several offensive categories, including scoring (91.6 points per game)
- BAY: The Bears are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games as underdogs
Why Gonzaga can cover
The Bulldogs haven't lost since Feb. 22, 2020, when they suffered a 91-78 setback at BYU. Most of the contests during their winning streak haven't been very competitive, as the squad has registered 32 of the 35 victories by double figures. Gonzaga has four players averaging more than 10 points per game, with Drew Timme leading the club at 19.2 after recording 25 in the triumph over UCLA.
Corey Kispert is right behind Timme with an average of 18.8 points. The senior forward is among the best 3-point shooters in the nation, converting 44.5 percent of his attempts to rank fifth. Kispert has gone 17-for-38 from beyond the arc in this year's Tournament and 21-for-48 over his last six contests.
Why Baylor can cover
Like Gonzaga, the Bears had five players hit double digits in points in their Final Four victory, a 78-59 rout of Houston. Jared Butler led the charge with 17 points -- all in the first half -- on 6-of-9 shooting, including a 4-for-5 effort from 3-point range. The junior guard was the most accurate from beyond the arc for Baylor as the rest of the team made only seven of its 19 attempts.
That performance was not characteristic of a Baylor team that enters Monday first in the nation in 3-point shooting at 41.2 percent. Davion Mitchell sank half of his six long-distance attempts en route to 12 points and dished out 11 assists for his second double-double of the season and first since late December. The Bears also had two players make considerable contributions against the Cougars off the bench, as junior guard Matthew Mayer scored 12 points while sophomore forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua added 11.
How to make Gonzaga vs. Baylor picks
Nagel is leaning under on the total and he's found a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Baylor vs. Gonzaga? And which critical X-factor makes one side hit hard? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from expert who has crushed his college basketball picks.
