Baylor vs. Arizona State College Basketball prediction, preview
Baylor will open up Big 12 Tournament play against Arizona State, and the money has been flowing in on the Bears. We’ll get to breaking down the matchup, but part of the reason Baylor might be seeing so much respect in this matchup is the uncertainty on the Arizona State side. The Sun Devils will reportedly fire Bobby Hurley when their season concludes, so we have to wonder what the buy-in level is for this tournament.
As for the matchup on the court, Baylor has talent and size advantages that should make it tough for Arizona State to keep up. We saw the Bears win the head to head contest against the Sun Devils last month, making it seven in a row in this matchup. Baylor enters the Big 12 tournament having covered four games in a row. The Bears have been somewhat predictable all season — only 2-12 as the underdog, but 13-3 as the favorite.
This sets up as a spot the favored Bears should be able to roll against a distracted team. Baylor’s offense is still high-powered, ranking 23rd in offensive efficiency on KenPom. Baylor also has a massive rebounding edge in the game, ranking 50th in rebound rate, compared to just 284th for the Sun Devils. Extra opportunities for the better offense should give the Bears the ability to pull away with margin.
