Baylor vs. Minnesota College Basketball prediction, preview (10:30PM ET on Wednesday in Las Vegas, NV)
Baylor and Minnesota both head to Las Vegas with full rosters to compete in the Crown Tournament for a cash prize, with $500,000 going to the winning team in the field of eight. The Gophers have been relatively balanced this season, while the Bears have relied on their offense to win them games. While Minnesota has the edge on defense, that’s where the advantages stop.
Baylor has significantly more firepower on offense, ranking 25th in offensive efficiency. The Gophers rank just 86th by the same metrics. The Bears will try to speed up the tempo and create more possessions and let their offense carry them to victory. They should also be able to create more opportunities for themselves on the glass, as the Bears hold a significant rebounding edge. Baylor ranks 44th in rebounding rate, while Minnesota is all the way down at 239th.
While the Gophers have some nice wins on the season, including some impressive upsets, they all came at home. Minnesota went 13-4 at The Barn this season, and just 2-13 everywhere else. It went just 5-10 ATS in those games, and if we isolate it to just games on a neutral floor, the Gophers went 0-4 SU/ATS in that setting.
I expect Baylor to find success on offense and out-rebound Minnesota in this one, allowing the Bears’ talent to move them onto the next round in the Crown.
