Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let’s take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara
Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Baylor Spread: -10.5
- UC-Santa Barbara Spread: +10.5
- Baylor Moneyline: -580
- UC-Santa Barbara Moneyline: +440
- Game Over/Under: 143.5
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Baylor 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
After Baylor’s three-game losing streak in early 2023, it seemed as if the college basketball world was ready to write off Scott Drew and Co. and move on from Baylor basketball. Winning 10 of their next 11 games put the Bears back on the map, and they have continued to perform well with arguably the best backcourt in the nation.
Here’s some hard-hitting analysis: Baylor’s leading scorer, five-star freshman Keyonte George, is very, very good. He is a big reason why Baylor ranked fifth in the preseason AP poll, and he should continue to be a reason why this squad can win it all. A healthy Baylor has one of the best offenses in the nation, with the ability to create perimeter shots and dribble-drive. The Bears rank in the top 25 in three-pointers attempted per 100 trips up the court. It helps that they shoot at a high clip from deep because the Bears will shoot a lot and rebound a lot of their misses.
Baylor ranks as one of the worst teams in the nation at playing on the road. Still, I am not especially worried about that ranking from Haslametrics because Baylor has shown its ability to perform on neutral courts with wins over UCLA and Gonzaga in such games. Baylor is simply a trustworthy team that is championship-caliber, but no one seems to be giving the Bears the respect they deserve. Their difficult strength of schedule, elite offense, and coaching is a good combination for a deep tournament run.
UC-Santa Barbara 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The Gauchos out of the Big West find themselves in another tournament led by their high-powered offense. Ajay Mitchell is a leading guard with a top-100 assist rate in the nation who can get to the rim at a high clip. Miles Norris and Calvin Wishart are both effective sharpshooters who can catch fire when needed.
Santa Barabara has height and plays slow, getting inside the paint for most of their scoring. What is questionable about the Gauchos is who their defense will line up against better Division I opponents. Ranking 162nd in adjusted defensive efficiency, their interior defense is sub-par at best. They truly lack depth, ranking 343rd in bench minutes. Any up-tempo, dribble-drive team can cause major issues for Santa Barabara, and it will be a question if their offense is good enough to keep up with their opponent.
Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara 2023 NCAA Tournament Predictions
The Baylor Bears lost two straight games to the Iowa State Cyclones, including its quarterfinal matchup in the Big 12. The Bears have struggled defensively all season long, allowing teams to shoot 53.3% from inside the arc this season. The offense can carry the Bears in this early matchup against Santa Barbara, as the Bears have nailed 37.2% from downtown and hit nearly 75% from the foul line.
On the other hand, Santa Barbara has allowed teams to hit 34.5% from downtown. Baylor's been below-average on the defensive glass, but Santa Barbara also won't be a significant threat on the offensive glass earning only 26.5% of offensive rebounds. Take Baylor to blow out the Gauchos.
Baylor vs. UC-Santa Barbara 2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Baylor -11
More Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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