The college basketball season is finally here, and we have a tremendous matchup to headline Day 2 of the 2023-24 season. In this matchup, the No. 20 Baylor Bears will play host to the Auburn Tigers at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. If you are looking for some help picking a side, we have got you covered with our Auburn vs. Baylor odds, picks, and predictions.
Last season, both teams struggled in conference play, and they both ended their seasons in the round of 32. These have been two of the better programs over the last 10 years, and that should continue this season. Despite Auburn and Baylor having a lot of key departures, there are not many more talented teams in the country than these two.
Entering tonight’s matchup, Baylor is a slight point favorite with the total sitting around . The oddsmakers indicate this will be a tight game, which can make picking a side difficult. Luckily, we have poured through the data and have come up with the best Auburn vs. Baylor betting pick.
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Auburn vs. Baylor Betting Odds: Point Spread, Moneyline, Total
When you make your Auburn vs. Baylor betting pick, we advise you to check out the odds and lines from some of our favorite sports betting apps. This will ensure you get the best numbers for your bets.
Auburn vs. Baylor Betting Trends
Auburn
- The total has gone OVER in five of Auburn’s last five games.
- The total has gone OVER in six of Auburn’s last six games against the Big 12.
- Auburn is 9-0 SU in its last nine games played in November.
- Auburn is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games.
Baylor
- Baylor is 5-1 SU in its last six games against the SEC.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Baylor’s last six games.
- Baylor is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games played in November.
- Baylor is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games.
Remember that these trends reflect what previous Auburn and Baylor teams have produced. Both teams will look different this season, but keeping track of how each team plays and their betting trends can help you become a profitable sports bettor.
As we get deeper into the season, the trends will start to paint a better picture.
Auburn Tigers Preview
The Tigers are entering the 10th season of the Bruce Pearl era, and while last season was a bit of a letdown, Auburn is still one of the premier programs in the SEC. They have won 20 games in five of the last six seasons, and they have done so with an elite offense.
However, last season’s Auburn Tigers slowed things down a bit, as they ranked 146th in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. Compare that with previous Pearl-led teams that never dropped below 55th in tempo, you can see why last year’s team did not look right from the start. They also did not shoot as many threes, ranking 219th in the country in three-point attempts, and they could only score 72.8 points per game.
Auburn will look to get back into a more traditional Pearl offense, which means we can expect a lot of tempo and three-point shots. While losing a lot of production from last season, Auburn reloaded with five scholarship players, including five-star freshman Aden Holloway, and a few transfers in Chaney Johnson, Denver Jones, and Chad Baker-Mazara.
The transfers bring in a lot of shooting depth, while Holloway looks to be the team’s starting point guard, which is a crucial area to replace with Wendell Green Jr. leaving for the NBA. This offseason was a big one for Pearl and the Tigers to get back to what they do best. With Holloway and a fleet of three-point shooting transfers, this team has a lot of depth, which they plan to utilize.
The depth at each position, which feels like they have two, maybe three players at each spot, should also help on the defensive end of the court.
Baylor Bears Preview
Like Auburn, Baylor is replacing a lot of production from last season. Four of the Bears’ starting five have moved on, including the three leading scorers in Adam Flagler (NBA), Keyonte George (NBA), and LJ Cryer (transfer to Houston).
The lone starter returning from last season is Jalen Bridges, who had a solid season last year, putting up 10.3 points and just over five rebounds per game. This is still a really talented team, as they brought in top 10 recruit Ja’Kobe Walter and a couple of four stars in Yves Missi and Miro Little.
The problem is that there is not much college-level experience on this team. Baylor will be bringing back Langston Love and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, but Love only played 16.7 minutes last season, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua missed most of last year with an injury, and he has been wildly inconsistent in his career.
Through the transfer portal, the Bears added RayJ Dennis from Toledo and VCU’s Jayden Nunn, which will help with the depth at guard and give this offense more shooting.
Head coach Scott Drew has done a tremendous job building this program to a national level. While much from the 2021 National Championship team has moved on, this is still an excellent team that could be considered in a ‘rebuild.’ While they still have to prove it with many newcomers, the offense should get a boost in shooting, while defensively, they should remain one of the best units in the country.
Auburn vs. Baylor Prediction: Tigers Start Season with Top 20 Victory
Baylor is in the worst position it has been in for a while, and they still are a top 20 ranked team that can easily win the best conference in the country and compete for a National Championship. At a neutral site, the Auburn vs. Baylor odds slightly favor the Bears, but they have a challenging task in the first game of the season.
Both teams reloaded in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail. Auburn has arguably the most depth in the country, and despite some injuries to look for early this season, they should be able to utilize all newcomers to help build off the strengths of Coach Pearl.
Last season, Auburn was not as good offensively, which led them to run a slower pace and cost them what makes this team so dangerous. As stated in the offseason, Pearl emphasized bringing in shooting and athleticism to help build back up this offense.
With Baylor’s inexperience, we will back Auburn in this spot as a short dog. The team that takes the most high-quality shots (threes and layups) should win this matchup, and in that case, I will always take a team led by Bruce Pearl.
Auburn vs. Baylor Pick: Auburn
How To Watch Auburn vs. Baylor
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023
Tipoff: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Pentagon – Sioux Falls, SD
Where to Watch: ESPN
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