The 2024-25 college basketball season begins on Monday and one of the best non-conference games of the season takes place on opening night. Gonzaga vs. Baylor highlights the night one college basketball schedule with the top-10 programs going head-to-head on Monday night in Spokane, Washington in the 2024 Findlay Auto Tip-Off. The No. 6 Gonzaga Bulldogs went 27-8 last season and lost in the Sweet 16. The No. 8 Baylor Bears went 24-11 and lost in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Baylor has the No. 6 freshman class in the country, according to 247Sports.com, highlighted by VJ Edgecombe, who was a McDonald's All-American and could be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. Gonzaga returns its leading scorer and rebounder in senior Graham Ike, who averaged 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds last season.
Tipoff is set for 11:30 p.m. ET on Monday at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga is a 6-point favorite in the latest Baylor vs. Gonzaga odds via the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 156.5 points. Before entering any Gonzaga vs. Baylor picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the proven model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024-25 season on a 153-110 betting roll (+1891) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Baylor vs. Gonzaga. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Gonzaga vs. Baylor game:
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor spread: Gonzaga -6
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor over/under: 156.5 points
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor money line: Gonzaga -251, Baylor +253
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor picks: See picks here
- Gonzaga vs. Baylor streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Baylor can cover
The Bears made significant splashes in the transfer portal and with incoming freshmen for this season. Jeremy Roach, a 6-foot-2 fifth-year senior guard averaged 14 points and 3.3 assists per game at Duke last season. He spent four years at Duke before transferring to Baylor for this season and he averaged 13.6 ppg in the 2022-23 season. Baylor also brought in Norchad Omier, a 6-foot-7 fifth-year senior who averaged 17 points and 10 assists at Miami last season.
Baylor had one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, according to 247Sports.com. Edgecombe is an athletic 6-foot-5 wing who will be an immediate impact scorer after playing in the McDonald's All-American Game last year. He was the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2024 and could be a top pick in the NBA Draft. Baylor has won at least 20 games in six straight seasons and has a lineup built for another strong campaign. See which team to pick here.
Why Gonzaga can cover
Mark Few enters his 26th year as the Gonzaga head coach and he's built one of the most consistent college basketball programs in the county. Gonzaga went 27-8 last season, which despite a .771 win percentage was actually its worst season since the 2010-11 season, which speaks to the program's dominance under Few. The Bulldogs have won more than 30 games in six of the last eight years.
Gonzaga returns four of five starters from last season, so the Bulldogs shouldn't have to worry about learning how to share the court with one another on the fly in the opener. Along with leading scorer and rebounder Graham Ike back, Gonzaga returns starting point guard Ryan Nembhard, who averaged 12.6 points and 6.9 assists per game last season. Gonzaga's veteran returning players should give the Bulldogs a chemistry edge over Baylor in the first game of the season, which could make the difference on Monday. See which team to pick here.
How to make Baylor vs. Gonzaga picks
The model has simulated Gonzaga vs. Baylor 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over the total, and it says one side of the spread hits more than 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Baylor vs. Gonzaga, and which side of the spread hits more than 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Gonzaga vs. Baylor spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 153-110 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
