Baylor vs. Gonzaga, canceled

UPDATE (Saturday, 11:49 p.m. ET): Saturday's marquee matchup between the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs and No. 2 Baylor Bears has been canceled. The " teams have mutually agreed [Saturday's] game will not be played" after one Gonzaga player and a member of the team's travel party tested positive for COVID-19. "Both teams have agreed to attempt to reschedule the game at a later date."

ORIGINAL STORY

The second-ranked Baylor Bears (3-0) face the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-0) Saturday at 1 p.m. ET in the Jimmy V Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Below, we analyze the Baylor-Gonzaga college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The Bears were ranked No. 1 and the Bulldogs No. 2 in the preseason Paste BN Sports Men's Basketball Poll.

Baylor vs. Gonzaga:Betting odds, spread andlines

Odds via BetMGM; access Paste BN Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:25 a.m. ET.

• Money line : Baylor +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Gonzaga -155 (bet $155 to win $100)
• Against the spread/ATS : Baylor +2 (+105) | Gonzaga -2 (-125)
• Over/Under : 159.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Baylor vs. Gonzaga: Three things to know

1. Baylor (-4.5) defeated No. 5 Illinois 82-69 Wednesday in its first game of the Jimmy V Classic in Indianapolis, pulling away in the final seven minutes after being tied at 43-all. G Adam Flagler led the Bears with 18 points off the bench. Baylor, which is 3-0 ATS, also owns wins against Washington (86-52) and Louisiana (112-82). G Jared Butler is the Bears' top scorer at 16.3 points per game.
2. Two of Gonzaga's three victories are against top-11 teams. The Bulldogs beat then-No. 6 Kansas 102-90 (as 4-point favorites) in the Fort Myers Classic Nov. 26, and recently knocked off No. 11 West Virginia 87-82 Wednesday - failing to cover as 8.5-point favorites - in their first Jimmy V Classic tilt. The Mountaineers game was a dogfight as the Zags trailed 39-34 at the half and, after being tied 67-all, produced a 20-5 run in the final 6:31 to pick up the victory. F Drew Timme (23.3 PPG) and F Corey Kispert (22.3 PPG) lead the Zags in scoring so far.
3. Both teams likely were going to be No. 1 seeds in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was canceled due to COVID-19. Gonzaga was No. 2 and Baylor No. 4 in the Paste BN Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll when the season was halted. The Zags are 5-0 in the all-time series, most recently claiming an 83-71 second-round victory in the 2019 NCAA tourney.

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Baylor vs. Gonzaga: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Gonzaga 89, Baylor 85

Money line (ML)

PASS. I'm calling for a Gonzaga win, but I prefer to lay the 2 points at a -125 ATS price (below) compared to backing the -155 money line.

Against the spread (ATS)

GONZAGA -2 (-125) is worth a small play - half your usual wager - as this is no "gimme." Expect a battle down to the wire. Gonzaga will have to do a better job on the boards than it did vs. West Virginia as it was outrebounded 41-36. What gives the Bulldogs the nod vs. Baylor is freshman G Jalen Suggs. In his college debut, the five-star recruit scored 24 points in the Kansas win. Against West Virginia, he exited the first half with a left ankle injury but returned in the second half. He only finished with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. However, his presence played a key role in Gonzaga's final surge.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 159.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY - 1½ times your usual wager. The two teams already have played a game in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, so an unknown neutral court won't be an issue. Through their first three games, Baylor is averaging 93.3 PPG, while Gonzaga is scoring at a 93.0 PPG clip.

This should be a fun one!

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