Baylor vs. Arkansas predictions, odds, pick for College Basketball

11/08/2024 10:00 PM

We’re set for a betting prediction and pick in the early College Basketball season as we see a high-stakes ranked matchup on primetime ESPN. The No. 8-ranked Baylor Bears (0-1) will take on the No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0) in one of the marquee showdowns we’ll see this week. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Baylor-Arkansas prediction and pick.

The Baylor Bears opened their season with a 63-101 loss to No. 6 Gonzaga. It certainly wasn’t the start they were looking for as they failed to put up much of a fight against the former champions while notching their first win will become difficult with facing another ranked opponent on the road.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are 1-0 following a 76-60 win over Lipscomb University in their opener. It was a winning effort by new head coach John Calipari in his debut for the program and his young core of talent pulled through with an impressive effort. They’ll have their first real test of the season against a ranked foe looking to prove themselves.

Here are the Baylor-Arkansas College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Baylor-Arkansas Odds

Baylor: -1.5 (-114)

Moneyline: -126

Arkansas: +1.5 (-106)

Moneyline: +105

Over: 153.5 (-110)

Under: 153.5 (-110)

How to Watch Baylor vs. Arkansas

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

TV: ESPNU

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why Baylor Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Baylor Bears will be looking to improve on their season from a year ago as they were bounced from the March Madness Round of 32 for the third-straight year. They haven’t been able to replicate their magic from 2021, but they’re sporting a veteran lineup of players with experience at different programs and could stand to make some noise as a contender in the Big 12. While they couldn’t get much going in their effort against Gonzaga, Miami-transfer Norchad Omier led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds in his Bears debut.

The freshman class of 2024 has quickly demonstrated its impact on college basketball.

Robert Wright at Baylor will give Scott Drew important quality depth in the backcourt. He will be the future PG and leader of their program. @robertwr1ght

He earned his way into the ESPN 100… pic.twitter.com/VjS7iP4ZmF

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) November 8, 2024

Freshman Robert Wright also had a positive impact with his 12 points and six rebounds while only turning the ball over once. He’s demonstrating an ability to lead this offense very early on and his patience as a ball handler will result in smart possessions for the Bears. Look for VCU-transfer Jayden Nunn to also begin having a growing impact on this lineup.

Why Arkansas Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Arkansas Razorbacks come into the season with a top-5 recruiting class in the country under legendary head coach John Calipari, winning in his first game with the program. With Calipari have come a number of transfers through the portal, including Kentucky guard DJ Wagner looking to lead this offense. He’ll also have the opportunity to coach Karter Knox, brother of Kevin Knox who played under Calipari in 2017.

Winning at home >>>pic.twitter.com/tizGZc7VH9

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men's Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) November 8, 2024

Boogie Fland and Johnell Davis both led the way with 17 and 15, respectively, with everyone on the roster recording at least 2 rebounds during the game. The Arkansas Razorbacks are an extremely deep squad and knowing Calipari, he’ll have this team playing very slefless basketball while hustling to make plays. Expect them to have another strong showing looking for back-to-back wins at home.

Final Baylor-Arkansas Prediction & Pick

This will be an exciting matchup between two teams we should be talking about again in March. The Baylor Bears weren’t able to produce much or showcase their skills against No. 6 Gonzaga, but their lineup is full of resilient players and additions from the transfer portal that could put them over the hump they’ve failed to surpass in recent years.

They’ll have a tough test in facing Arkansas at home and we already know John Calipari will have his young team prepared and covering all bases ahead of this one. As far as depth, the Razorbacks are one of the deepest teams in the country and it seems as though everyone on their roster can make an effort in a starting role. If they can continue to mesh together and play their brand of basketball, the sky should be the limit for this team throughout the season.

This should be a back-and-forth game throughout and it’ll truly depend on the three-point shooting of the Baylor Bears. Still, the Razorbacks will have a ton of energy in front of a packed crowd as they manage to cover the betting spread.

Final Baylor-Arkansas Prediction & Pick: Arkansas Razorbacks +1.5 (-106)

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