Free NCAA Hoops Pick: Wildcats vs. Bears CBB Odds
Looking for Villanova Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Wildcats taking on the Bears on Saturday March 27th, 2021 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all college basketball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily basketball predictions like this Wildcats Bears matchup.
2021 NCAA Basketball Handicapping
(18-6) #5 Villanova Wildcats vs. #1 Baylor Bears (24-2)
Date: Saturday March 27th, 2021
Time: 2:40 PM ET
Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
CBB Moneyline Odds: Villanova +240 , Baylor -300
CBB Betting Odds: Baylor -7.5
CBB Betting Total: O/U 140.5
The #1 seed Baylor Bears will clash with the #5 seed Villanova Wildcats in the South Region Sweet 16 o on Saturday afternoon. The winner will advance to the Elite 8 to on either #3 Arkansas or the cinderella #15 Oral Roberts.
The Wildcats had a promising season that seemed to get derailed late due to injuries an an early exit from the Big East Tournament. Jay Wright didn’t let that stop that from bringing his team to the Sweet 16 once again. The Wildcats advanced here with two relatively easy wins: A 73-63 triumph over Winthrop and an 84-61 victory over North Texas.
The Bears rebounded from a disappointing loss in the BIG 12 conference tourney with a convincing win over Hartford in their First-Round action 79-55 and then a 76-63 win over the Wisconsin Badgers. Baylor seems to have gotten back to their former selves and are looking dangerous on both ends of the court.
Despite being 2 of the final 16 teams remaining and Villanova’s play this tournament Baylor is actually favored more in this round then they were in the previous against Wisconsin.
Villanova Wildcats
The #5 Villanova Wildcats’ championship mentality is showing itself once again in March as they’ve made it back to the Sweet Sixteen. Jay Wright is one of the best coaches remaining in the tournament and you’d be hard pressed to find a team to catch him off guard this time of the year.
‘Nova is solid at both ends of the floor this year as they tend to be under Wright. On offense, the Wildcats are frequent launchers of 3-point attempts as they proved in their Sunday win over UNT going 15-for-30 from distance to match a season-high for most treys made. Defensively, over their last eight games the Wildcats have held opponents to a 39.6% mark from the floor and a 29.9% mark from 3-point land.
Villanova lost Collin Gillespie, the Co-Big East Player of the Year, before the tournament. The guard averaged 14.0 ppg, but more importantly was an experienced Senior and one of the Wildcats’ primary ball handlers. Gillespie was a calming presence on this Villanova squad, especially valuable at tournament time.
Fellow Co-Big East Player of the Year Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is now the primary player for the Wildcats. He boasts team bests in points (16 ppg), rebounds (8.4 rpg), steals (1 bpg), and steals (0.6 spg).
Baylor Bears
Baylor has looked dominant in the first two rounds and worthy of their #1 seeding. Last Sunday the Bears won 76-63 after grabbing a 13 point halftime lead and held onto it the rest of the way. Matthew Mayer scored a game high 17 points with Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell both added 16 points a piece.
For the season, All-American junior Jared Butler leads the team with 17.1 points and two steals per game, followed by honoable mention All-American Macio Teague with 16.2 ppg and 3rd team All-American Davion Mitchel follows with 14.1 points and a team-best 5.4 assists per game. Mark Vital averages 6.0 ppg and 6.8 rebounds on the season but has averaged 13.3 boards over the last three contests.
Baylor was the fourth-best team in the county according to KenPom entering the tournament behind only the other #1 seeds Gonzaga, Michigan, and Illinois but have jumped up to the two spot behind Gonzaga to win it all.
CBB Betting Trends
- Baylor is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games
- Baylor is 7-3 ATS against non-BIG 12 teams
- Baylor OVERS are 8-1 in last 9 games
- Wildcats are 14-4 ATS last 18 NCAA tournament games
- Wildcats are 3-6-1 ATS last 10 neutral site games
- Over is 8-3 in Wildcats last 11 neutral site games
Free Villanova Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears NCAAB Prediction:
Baylor is one of the favorites to win the tournament and for good reason. They can beat foes with offense, rebounding, and defense. Villanova has a veteran roster and can’t be underestimated however Baylor is simply playing at a different level than the Wildcats.
That being said 7.5 points is a large number to cover even for the Bears and if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this tournament is not to doubt the underdog. I’m taking Baylor to win but believe Villanova will keep it close enough to cover.
4* Free CBB Betting Pick: Villanova +7.5
NCAAB Free Score Prediction: Wildcats 66 – Bears 72 (Bet Now!)
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