College Basketball Odds, Picks, Predictions: Gonzaga vs. Baylor Monday

Written By Eli Hershkovich | Last Updated November 5, 2024

Gonzaga men’s basketball and Baylor will clash in the Spokane Arena on the opening night of the 2024-25 college basketball season. Both teams appear in the top-10 rankings in media pools and my college basketball power rankings. The Bulldogs are Gonzaga Bulldogs -5.5 (-120) on FanDuel spread favorites with a total of 157.5 (-105) on Caesars. Let’s dive into Gonzaga vs. Baylor betting odds and whether there is any value.

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baylor vs. gonzaga odds: spread, moneyline, total

Will Gonzaga Return To Form?

From mid-February onward, the Zags played at a top-10 level, tallying the second-highest adjusted offensive efficiency behind UConn. The Bulldogs retained core pieces, like point guard Ryan Nembhard and center Graham Ike, who were responsible for their late-season surge. The insertion of transfers Khalif Battle (Arkansas) and Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine) will deliver an extra scoring punch.

Nevertheless, Mark Few has produced two of his worst defensive teams over the last 15 years, ranking No. 73 (2023) and No. 51 (2024) in adjusted defensive efficiency. The loss of Anton Watson, Gonzaga’s premier defender and offensive connector, is massive.

Baylor’s New-Look Roster

Unlike the Zags, Scott Drew replenished Baylor’s starting core, pairing elite grad transfers Jeremy Roach (Duke) and Norchad Omier (Miami) with a VJ Edgecombe, a potential top-five draft selection. Edgecombe is already a dynamic playmaker and has an opportunity to assert himself as the best freshman in the sport.

If Drew discovers consistency in the frontcourt, particularly with 6-foot-10 junior Josh Ojianwuna, the Bears will become even more difficult to guard and exceptionally flexible defensively.

College Basketball Projections

As my college basketball futures betting guide mentions, predicting which fresh faces will meet expectations is difficult. That is especially true in a de facto road game, even for Baylor’s experienced personnel.

Since the Bulldogs showcase the fourth-most returning possession minutes (RPMS) across Division I, it’s no surprise that my betting model gave them a slight edge (-4.1) compared to the opening point spread of -3. I’m also hesitant about whether the Bears can provide enough resistance against an offense that settled in the 99th percentile in post-up efficiency last season.

The 6-foot-9 Ike was the catalyst, notching 11.2 points in the paint per contest (per CBB Analytics). But considering there isn’t much data on either team, I’ll pass on the Gonzaga vs. Baylor odds.