If you need evidence that the NCAA selection committee analyzes a team’s entire body of work, just look at Baylor’s at-large bid. The Bears enter the tournament losers of four straight and have averaged 65 points per game – nearly seven points below their season average – during that stretch. The Bears are 19-13 overall and 16-14-2 against the spread this season.
The Orange have lost five of their last seven, are 20-13 overall and 19-14 against the spread. Syracuse opened and remains a 2-point favorite over Baylor, while the total opened at 133.5 and is now at 133.
If you remove the top scorer from any squad, it’s hard to make a case for them come tournament time. Granted, Baylor has been without Tristan Clark for more than two months now, but their body of work indicates the Bears haven’t fully recovered and adapted to his loss.
Meanwhile, the Orange are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 tournament games and 7-2 in their last nine games following a loss. Jim Boeheim knows what it takes to win come tournament time and although the Orange will be one-and-done, I’ll take Syracuse -2 and the OVER.
Baylor is 1-4 ATS in its last five games vs the ACC.away Syracuse is 7-2 SU in its last nine games after a loss.home The total has gone OVER in five of Baylor’s last six games in the playoffs.away