Juan Pablo Aravena
The No.1 ranked Baylor Bears may have won the 2021 NCAA Basketball Championship under the pretenses of a COVID tournament, but they are technically the defending champions. They fully intend to wipe away the asterisks of last year’s title by going all they way in 2022. But first they must get through their Eastern Region First Round game against the N.16 Norfolk State Spartans. Vegas favors them by over 20-points, but the Spartans are coming into the tournament on a six-game winning streak. Can Norfolk State make it seven with an upset win over the Bears? If you dare to bet on it there’s some serious money to be made if they do. Here’s some insight for which team to pick.
Picks and Predictions for the Norfolk State Spartans vs Baylor Bears NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 18 2022
Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
When: Friday, March 18, 2022, 8 PM ET
Betting Line: Norfolk State Spartans (+20.5) vs Baylor Bears (-20.5)
Over/Under: 137.5
Norfolk State Spartans Betting Preview
Overall Record: 24-6
Conference Record: 12-2
Odds to Win: (+20.5)
As mentioned above, Norfolk State is coming off of a six game winning streak, with their last victim being the Coppin States Eagles last Saturday. They trounced their final regular season opponent by a final score of 72-57. Senior guard Joe Bryant Jr. scored 23-points in yet another strong performance.
The team averages 75.1 points this season, keeping opponents to just 63.7 points in the process. Heading into the tournament Norfolk State’s FG% sits at 46.6 and they are lacking from the free-throw line, hitting less than 70 percent. The Spartans are more than evenly matched against Baylor on the glass, averaging 39.1 to Baylor’s 37.1 boards per game. After a win this season the Spartans are 15-6-1 against the spread, covering 71.4% of the time, and as a heavy underdog they are 66.7% ATS.
Baylor Bears Betting Preview
Overall Record: 26-6
Conference Record: 14-4
Odds to Win: (-20.5)
The defending NCAA Basketball Champs are heavy favorites against Norfolk State. Do they deserve the distinction or is Vegas allowing them to rest on their 2021 laurels? The Bears are entering the First Round game against the Spartans after a Big 12 Tournament 72-67 loss to Oklahoma. They are therefore coming into the meeting with Norfolk without as much momentum as their opponent. How does Baylor perform after a loss this year? They are 2-3 ATS, covering just 40% of the time. As a favorite the Bears are also lagging with a 16-13-1 ATS record that covers only 55.2% of the time. The data certainly gives bettors something to think about.
JefeBet Prediction
It’s a VERY close call for Baylor. The current Champs (who average 76.5 PPG) win by a narrow margin of 73-71.
