Baylor Bears vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Preview

The top two teams in the country are set to square off on Saturday when the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the No. 2 Baylor Bears in Indianapolis. This could easily be a preview of the national championship game set to take place later this season as both teams appear to be ahead of the rest of the country.

Baylor just picked up an impressive 82-69 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night, and it is a perfect 3-0 this season. The Bears were the top-ranked team for much of 2019-20, and a win in this one will get them back in that spot.

Gonzaga is also 3-0, and it has impressive wins over both Kansas and West Virginia. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win the national championship this season, but this will be a huge test. 

Gonzaga is a 3.5-point favorite over Baylor in this classic matchup. 

Bears Can Really Defend

The Bears are giving up just 67 points per game, and that defense completely shut down a good Illinois team. The Bears are willing to switch screens on the perimeter, and they have a number of defenders that can lock down anyone.

Guard Jared Butler was a preseason All-American this year, and he leads the Bears with 16.3 points per game. Butler might be the biggest star, but he has plenty of support from his teammates. 

Baylor is scoring more than 93 points per game, and much of that damage has been done on the perimeter. The Bears are shooting 47 percent from deep, and they can hurt Gonzaga with their long-range shooting. 

Zags Want to Score

The Bulldogs are also scoring 93 points per game this season, but they are able to score in a variety of ways. Drew Timme and Corey Kispert have combined for 45 points per game, but the Bulldogs have other weapons as well.

Gonzaga is shooting less than 30 percent from deep, and that is one area that will need to improve. The Bulldogs want to play fast, but that is easier said than done against a great defensive team like Baylor.

Gonzaga is also dealing with a hobbled Jalen Suggs after the freshman guard was injured in the win on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs are extremely deep, but they need a healthy Suggs in this game. 

Baylor is the Right Pick

The injury to Suggs is a huge blow to Gonzaga, even if he is able to suit up for this game. Suggs has been the leader of the team this season, and his absence would really affect the Zags' offense.

Baylor might be the best defensive team in the country, and that defense will slow down the explosive Gonzaga offense. The Bears might not have as much star power as the Bulldogs, but this team is still loaded with talent.

This game should be tight throughout, and it could really go either way. The best bet in this game is to take the +3.5 points and bet on the Baylor Bears in this huge matchup against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Take a look at all of our college basketball selections by going to our college basketball picks page.