Baylor Bears vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs for NCAA title: Prediction, time, TV, betting line
Gonzaga or Baylor will win its first NCAA men’s basketball championship tonight.
Let’s break it down.
THE DETAILS
When: 8:20 p.m. (Central) Monday
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: CBS
Radio: WHB (810 AM)
Betting line: Gonzaga by 4 1/2
PROJECTED LINEUPS
P | No. | Baylor | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 12 | Jared Butler | 6-3 | Jr. | 16.6 |
G | 31 | MaCio Teague | 6-4 | Sr. | 15.8 |
G | 45 | Davion Mitchell | 6-2 | Jr. | 14.0 |
G | 10 | Adam Flagler | 6-3 | So. | 9.0 |
F | 11 | Mark Vital | 6-5 | Sr. | 5.6 |
P | No. | Gonzaga | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 1 | Jalen Suggs | 6-4 | Fr. | 14.1 |
G | 3 | Andrew Nembhard | 6-5 | Jr. | 9.2 |
G | 11 | Joel Ayayi | 6-5 | Jr. | 12.2 |
F | 24 | Corey Kispert | 6-7 | Sr. | 18.8 |
F | 2 | Drew TImme | 6-10 | So. | 19.2 |
PREDICTION
About No. 1 seed Baylor (27-6):
It’s the second straight tournament for a Big 12 team in the title game. Texas Tech lost to Virginia in overtime for the 2019 championship. Baylor won its first conference title in 71 years this season, and now, like Gonzaga, seeks its first men’s hoops title. Davion Mitchell, the national defensive player of the year, looms large in this game. He’s likely to get the first call on Jalen Suggs. Can a combination of Mark Vital, Flo Thamba and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua contain Drew Timme?
About No. 1 seed Gonzaga (31-0):
The Bulldogs are a scoring machine, with a nation-leading 91.6 points. They topped that in the 93-90 overtime semifinal victory over UCLA. Gonzaga, meanwhile, tops the nation with 49.6 points in the paint. How good was Timme at the start of overtime against the Bruins? Suggs did it all in that game, including a blocked shot that started a run-out that he finished with a bounce-pass assist. The Zags are a betting favorite to become Division I basketball’s eighth undefeated national champion.
Prediction:
Get ready for a great backcourt matchup, with Baylor’s Butler/Mitchell/MaCio Teague against the Zags’ Suggs/Kispert/Andrew Nembhard/Joel Ayayi. These are some great shooters and excellent defenders, especially among the Bears. Give a slight edge here to Baylor. The same slim margin favors Gonzaga in the frontcourt because of Timme. Baylor is terrific on the offensive boards and the Bears overall are a better defensive team. Gonzaga had its first major scare against UCLA, but that should serve the Bulldogs well. They had to make big plays in clutch moments, and that happened. Look for Baylor’s frontliners to get enough done on the defensive end, and for Butler and Mitchell to ultimately make the difference
Baylor 84. Gonzaga 80