NCAA Basketball March Madness Odds: Gauchos Vs Baylor Bears Betting Analysis

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When it comes to handicapping, it’s never a bad idea to look at past games between teams to see how they match up historically. That becomes a little more difficult during March Madness, as you tend to get a lot of games between teams that have zero head-to-head history. You would assume that the higher seeded team might have no issues with the lower seed, but history has shown that some of these matchups can be trickier than expected. This Friday, we have the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos and the Baylor Bears meeting for the first time, which will be fun to watch, but perhaps not quite as fun to wager on. Baylor comes into this game as a 10-point favorite, but will they have a tough time against the Gauchos? The point total for this one is set at 143. Let’s take a look at the NCAA basketball odds, so you can prepare your betting strategies for this game.

#14 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Vs #3 Baylor Bears Game Info | March Madness Lines

When: Friday, March 17 at 1:30 PM EST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver
TV: TNT

Why bet on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

If you are looking at this one as being a potential upset, or at least for the Gauchos to keep it close, let’s look at some things that might help you lean a little harder into playing them. Let’s start out with the fact that this is a team sure to be brimming with confidence. They won the regular season crown in the Big West before doubling down and also winning the conference championship. The Gauchos were able to shrug off a 3-game losing skid to close out the season with 7 straight wins, taking them to 27-6 on the season. They have won 5 in a row in the month of March and are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall. They are also 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games starting as the underdog. Where things get sticky is that they are just 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the Big 12. The OVER has hit in 7 of their last 8 games.

Why bet on the Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears have become something of a force under the coaching of Scott Drew, with the highlight being their 2021 National Championship. Last season was a bit of a disappointment, as the Bears went out in the 2nd Round, which was a good deal earlier than anyone expected. They went 22-10 this season, but there has to be some concern about the way in which they closed things out, losing 2 in a row and 4 of their last 6 games. That is not the form of a team that might win another championship. A win here is certainly expected, and it might also be needed to help this squad settle down and get into the tournament groove. On the bright side, they are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games starting as a favorite and have covered the spread in each of their last 6 games versus teams from the Big West. The OVER has hit in 4 of their last 6 overall.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I’m not going to lie, the Baylor Bears make me a little nervous and I don’t see them making a particularly deep run this year. I do think they get out of this one with the win and the cover. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 68 Baylor Bears 80

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?