The Round of 32 is here as the Clemson Tigers face the Baylor Bears on Sunday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. We're here to share our college basketball odds series, make a Clemson-Baylor prediction, and pick for this March Madness showdown.
Clemson defeated New Mexico 77-56 on Friday to advance to the Round of 32. They led 42-28 at halftime before pulling away. Significantly, Chase Hunter led the way with 21 points while shooting 8 for 16 from the floor. Ian Schieffelin added 16 points while shooting 6 for 10 from the floor. Also, PJ Hall added 14 points while shooting 5 for 9 from the floor.
The Tigers shot 44.4 percent from the hardwood, including 33.3 percent from the triples. Moreover, they held New Mexico to 29.7 percent from the floor, including a paltry 13 percent from the three-point line. They lost the board battle 39-38. Likewise, they had seven steals and four blocked shots, which helped force 13 turnovers.
Baylor defeated Colgate 92-67 on Friday to advance to the Round of 32. They led 54-34 at halftime and then held firmly. Ultimately, Jalen Bridges led the way with 23 points while shooting 9 for 14 from the field, including 5 for 8 from the three-point line. Ja'Kobe Walter added 19 points while shooting 4 for 11. Meanwhile, Jayden Dun finished 2ith 15 points whole, shooting 5 for 8, and Rayj Dennis added 10.
The Bears shot 57.9 percent from the floor, including 53.3 percent from the three-point line. More importantly, they held Colgate to 45.6 percent shooting, including 27.8 percent from the three-point line. They won the board battle 32-22. Additionally, they overcame 12 turnovers to win.
Clemson is making its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance. However, the Tigers have never won the title and have not made it to the Elite Eight since 1980. Baylor won the NCAA national championship in 2021. Additionally, they have only made it one other time. Baylor made it to the Final Four just three times in its history. Moreover, the Bears are attempting to make the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth time.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Clemson-Baylor Odds
Clemson: +4.5 (-114)
Moneyline: +158
Baylor: -4.5 (-106)
Moneyline: -192
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How to Watch March Madness
Time: 6:10 PM ET/3:10 PM PT
TV: TNT
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Clemson Will Cover The Spread/Win
Clemson faces a big challenge as it attempts to take down Baylor. Yet, it has some players who can make good things happen on the court as it attempts to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Hall averaged 18.8 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor during the season. Significantly, he shot well but got into foul trouble in the win against New Mexico. Joseph Girard III averaged 15.7 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the hardwood during the season. However, he had a terrible game against New Mexico after shooting 2 for 12 and will attempt to bounce back. Hunter averaged 12.6 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent during the season. Amazingly, he had a great game and was also a great passer, generating six assists. Schieffelin averaged 9.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57.9 percent from the floor, including 52.8 percent from the triples during the season. Overall, he shot well against New Mexico and was a monster on the boards, but he must cut down on turnovers.
Clemson will cover the spread if it generates good shooting chances. The Tigers must then be careful with the basketball.
Why Baylor Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Bears won despite committing 12 turnovers. Substantially, those mistakes could have derailed them, but they overcame the hurdles and powered their way to victory to advance to the next round.
Walker averaged 14.7 points per game during the season. Unfortunately, he struggled to shoot against Colgate and will look to bounce back. Dennis averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 49.4 percent during the regular season. Overall, he was mostly solid at shooting and passing the ball but must avoid turnovers. Bridges averaged 11.6 points per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field. Now, he must continue his strong play. Yves Missi averaged 10.9 points per game during the season. Significantly, the only thing he needs to improve is his turnovers, of which he had three.
Baylor will cover the spread if Walker and Dennis continue excelling on offense while taking care of the rock. Then, they must clamp down on defense and force Clemson to shoot from bad angles.
Final Clemson-Baylor Prediction & Pick
Both teams are exceptional and did great things to get here. Significantly, both teams built early leads and cruised to victory. But Clemson is not as experienced as Baylor is. Moreover, the Bears have a little more pep in their step and have the capability of blowing out anyone except the absolute best. The Tigers need to play its best game possible to win this game. Consequently, several mistakes can turn this game in the wrong direction. Baylor wins the game and covers the spread.
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Final Clemson-Baylor Prediction & Pick: Baylor: -4.5 (-106)
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