The Northern Colorado Bears (1-1) and the No. 6 Baylor Bears (2-0) meet Monday at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Northern Colorado vs. Baylor odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Northern Colorado was outclassed badly in its opener, falling 83-36 at No. 3 Houston last Monday, not even coming close to covering the 23.5-point number. NorCo struggled badly against Texas A&M-Commerce of the Southland Conference in its home opener too, winning just 80-77 and failing to cover as a 13-point favorite Friday.
Baylor pounded Mississippi Valley State in its opener last Monday, winning 117-53 to easily cover a 44-point number. It topped Norfolk State last time out Friday, winning 87-70, but it was unable to cover as a 27-point favorite. The Over has cashed in both outings for Baylor.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Northern Colorado at Baylor odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:36 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Off the board
- Against the spread (ATS): Northern Colorado +27.5 (-105) | Baylor -27.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 153.5 (O: -117 | U: -103)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Northern Colorado at Baylor picks and predictions
Prediction
Baylor 94, Northern Colorado 62
Moneyline
There was no money line at the time of publishing, but it wouldn’t be worth pursuing.
Against the spread
BAYLOR -27.5 (-115) is worth playing.
Northern Colorado was terrible in its first try against a ranked team in Houston. Meanwhile, Baylor has been tremendously sharp offensively and it should be able to bury NorCo in this battle of teams with Bears mascots.
Over/Under
OVER 153.5 (-117) is the lean here.
Baylor has connected at 50.4% from the field early on while dropping in 3-pointers at a 40.3% clip. If the Bears improve on their early-season numbers of 66.2% from the free-throw line, they’ll be even better.
The risk with playing the Over here doesn’t lay with Baylor, but there is some concern with Northern Colorado. That ugly 36-point showing at Houston sticks out like a sore thumb.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this basketball game or any other sports contest? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fb7dafw2b08817yr player_id=none image=https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]