College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals: Baylor vs Minnesota Preview, Odds, Predictions (April 1)
- The Bears lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
- The Golden Gophers exited from the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
- This marks the first all-time matchup between the two squads.
The second matchup of the College Basketball Crown quarterfinals will commence when the Baylor Bears take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday night. The former comes out as the slight favorite, giving fans a fun matchup in the late hours of the night.
How to Watch
- When: Wednesday, April 1, 10:30 pm ET
- Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
- How to Watch: FS1
NCAA Matchup Odds & Lines
| Team | Odds | Spread | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor | -110 | -4 | O149 |
| Minnesota | -110 | +4 | U149 |
Game Preview
The Bears (16-16) look to bounce back from its first round exit from Kansas City at the Big 12 Tournament, where Baylor fell to Arizona State, 79-83. Cameron Carr earned All-Big 12 Third Team and All-Newcomer Team honors, while Tounde Yessoufou was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for his efforts. Carr leads the attack with 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Yessoufou comes next with 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per contest.
The Golden Gophers (15-17) seek a solid start in the Crown after suffering a second-round exit from the Big Ten Tournament after falling to Rutgers. Cade Tyson commands the offense with averages of 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson follows suit with 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Tyson ranks seventh in points in a season (609), while his 19.6 points per game ranks fifth among Gophers players since 1978-79. Bobby Durkin’s 78 threes currently ranks sixth in school history, while his 196 attempts is seventh.
Arizona vs Baylor Head-to-Head
The two programs are facing each other for the first time in their respective histories.
Baylor vs Minnesota Predictions
The winner will face the winner of the Oklahoma/Colorado quarterfinal on April 4 in a semifinal matchup. Minnesota has struggled throughout stretches of the regular season but will continue trying to rack up wins before their season concludes. However, that will be a tough task against Baylor, who has high-quality players in Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou heading the offense. Our betting pick here is the Bears to defend a 4-point spread.
- Free NCAAB pick: Baylor Bears -4
