Skip to main content

Creighton vs. Baylor Predictions, Odds & Picks: Bears Favored in March Madness Round of 32

Philip Wood

Last Updated: March 19, 2023 9:06 AM EDT • 2 min 54 sec read.

Jalen Bridges of the Baylor Bears pulls down a rebound as we look at our Creighton vs. Baylor prediction
Jalen Bridges of the Baylor Bears pulls down a rebound against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Ball Arena on Mar. 17, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images via AFP.

The Baylor Bears trailed at halftime against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos but dominated the second half to advance to take on the Creighton Bluejays. Here is our best Creighton vs. Baylor prediction based on the top NCAAB odds.

The Bluejays jumped out to an early lead against the North Carolina State Wolfpack, and played most of the first half from ahead. The Wolfpack went on an 11-2 run coming out of the break, but after that, it was all Bluejays. They outscored North Carolina 42-26 over the game's final 16 minutes to secure the win. Center Ryan Kalkbrenner led the way with 31 points.

Though the Bears ended up covering their matchup, they Gauchos did give them a scare. Early in the second half, the Gauchos actually led 41-39, but the Bears answered with a 27-11 run to put the game away. Guards Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer combined for 33 points in the victory.

Here is our best Creighton vs. Baylor prediction (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Creighton vs. Baylor odds

Creighton vs. Baylor prediction

Over 144.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets

New customers only. Deposit min. $10. Place first bet of $5+ and get $150 in Bonus Bets win or lose (within 72 hours).

Claim $150
Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook betting site. 21+. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly

This is one of the most evenly-matched second round games, and the spread reflects that. Some of the major sportsbooks list this as a pick ‘em, while others favor the Bears by 1.5. Either way, oddsmakers don't expect much to separate these two teams Sunday.

Each of these teams' first-round games reflected their season as a whole. There were stretches where they looked brilliant and others where they looked completely inept. In the end, they did what they had to in crunch time to get the win.

Check out our March Madness best bets and all of our top NCAA Tournament picks for Sunday

Rather than pick a side in this matchup, go with the total. This game features nine players who average in double figures this season. Both teams have a mean of around 77 points per game. Though the Bears’ defense gave up just 56 points in their most recent contest, they let five of their last seven opponents score at least 70 against them. The Gauchos got 36 in the first half.

Both teams can shoot the ball, and have enough players who can pick up the slack if another player is off. Both opponents are warmed up after playing Friday. Expect this to be a game full of runs, which will force the pace of play to be high. Each team should get into the mid-70s in this one.

Creighton vs. Baylor best odds

FanDuel (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
Over 145.5Over 144.5Over 146.5Over 145Over 146
-110-110-105-110-110

None of the major sportsbooks offer the same total for this game. That's almost unheard of. There's a variance of 2 full points between the lowest and highest total, with every half-point in between offered at one of the books.

BetMGM has the best price, but also offers the highest number. Instead of wagering there, take the lowest number available at the standard -110. 

Creighton vs. Baylor odds analysis

The Bears opened as 1.5-point favorites, and despite seeing more than half the support from bettors, the spread drifted in favor of the Bluejays. If you want to play the spread in this game, just play the moneyline. Some of the major books offer each team at a better price than the spread anyway.

This total opened at 146.5, and with 57% of bettors backing the Under, it went down nearly across the board. Expect this number to keep dropping, especially after the total wasn't reached in either one of these teams’ first games. In fact, neither contest was even close.

Creighton vs. Baylor game info

  • Date: Sunday, March 19, 7:10 p.m. ET
  • TV: TBS
  • Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Creighton vs. Baylor pick made 3/18/2023 at 9:43 a.m. ET.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Related pages

Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.