Houston Cougars vs. Baylor Bears Betting Preview

 

The Final Four field is set, and the two games will be played on Saturday. The evening’s first game will be between the Houston Cougars and the Baylor Bears. The opening tip is scheduled for 5:14 pm ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The winner will play either Gonzaga or UCLA in the National Championship Game. The Bears enter the national semifinal as five-point favorites over the Cougars at America’s Bookie.

Baylor is -220 to win, and Houston is +180 on the moneyline. The over/under has been set at 135 points.

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Houston Cougars Preview

Houston will be playing in its first Final Four since 1984 when it takes the court on Saturday night. The Cougars started the NCAA Tournament as the second seed in the Midwest Region. They blew out Cleveland State before barely beating Rutgers in the first two rounds.

In the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, the Cougars defeated Syracuse and Oregon State, respectively, in commanding fashion. Houston has only lost three games all season, but it is looked down upon because of its conference.

Houston competes in the American Athletic Conference, and it did not face a ranked opponent in the regular season. The team is led by Quentin Grimes, who is scoring 18 points per game, and DeJon Jarreau, Houston’s assists leader.

These two will have to be flawless for the team to take down the Bears on Saturday.

We crushed our last pick, which also involved the Baylor Bears, we had them winning by at least 6. Go check out our Texas Tech at Baylor free pick.

Baylor Bears Preview

Many people have already penciled Baylor into the National Championship Game. However, this team is not indestructible. The Bears were defeated in the Big 12 tournament semifinal by Oklahoma State, and Kansas also destroyed them earlier in the season.

Baylor entered the NCAA Tournament with a 26-2 record, which earned it the top seed in the South Region. The Bears did not play a close game throughout March Madness.

The first game that Baylor did not win by double-digits was in the Elite Eight, beating third-seeded Arkansas 81-72 to punch their ticket to the Final Four.

Baylor’s precision from beyond the arc has been very beneficial to it in the NCAA Tournament. Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell lead the team. This scoring tandem is accounting for a majority of the team’s points.

The Matchup

Momentum is on the side of the Cougars, and they are on a roll. However, Baylor is a superior program in nearly every facet of the game. I think the Cougars will come out hot, and this game will be tightly contested.

Nevertheless, by the end of the second half, I think Baylor will run away with this game. I like the Bears to cover the five-point spread.

Baylor was 18-10 ATS in 2020-21, and its scoring ability is going to make it 19-10 ATS after Saturday. The Bears are scoring seven more points per game than the Cougars.

They shoot better from the field and specifically from three-point range. Baylor has an advantage on defense as well, and this will show in the Final Four.

Houston has not seen a team that’s on the same level as the Bears in 2021. I am taking Baylor -5 and over 135 points.