The 6th-ranked Creighton Bluejays (22-12) and No. 3 Baylor Bears (23-10) will let fly feather and fur Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The South Region match-up at Ball Arena in Denver is slated to tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Creighton vs. Baylor odds as we make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Creighton is No. 22 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The 3-happy Bluejays went just 3 of 20 from distance but still managed a 73-62 1st-round win over NC State. CU has shot just 23.3% from 3-point range over its last 2 games, both of which were neutral-site tournament games — well short of its season average of 35.48% (102nd).
Baylor is ranked 11th in the nation. The Bears launch triples even more frequently than the Bluejays, but they’ve been on target lately. Including a 74-56 win over UC Santa Barbara Friday, BU has averaged 10.8 3-pointers made per game since Feb. 11 while shooting 41.3% from distance.
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Creighton vs. Baylor odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:49 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Creighton -105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Baylor -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Creighton +1.5 (-118) | Baylor -1.5 (-102)
- Over/Under (O/U): 145.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Creighton vs. Baylor picks and predictions
Prediction
Baylor 71, Creighton 69
Moneyline
Fair prices here and nowhere to wedge in with some value. PASS.
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Against the spread
These are two similar teams that can bomb it, but Baylor has the edge in expected 2nd-chance buckets and free-throw frequency. Creighton answers with a better defense and a propensity to get more looks at the rim.
Can’t split ’em: PASS.
Over/Under
The Under has hit in back-to-back Creighton games and 2 of Baylor’s last 3. The Under is 4-1 in the Bluejays’ last 5 games against teams playing .600 basketball and is 7-2 across Baylor’s last 9 in that same category.
Yes, these teams can fill it from distance, but the contest will still have plenty of good defense and likely be played at a mid-pace.
BACK THE UNDER 145.5 (-108).
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