Baylor Odds-On Favorite to Go to Final Four: March Madness South Region
After plenty of drama and excitement, the First Round of the NCAA Tournament is done and dusted. A couple of high seeds are already out and very few brackets are still alive. The most disruption was probably seen in the South Region. This part of the bracket was seen before the tournament as the toughest to predict and certainly didn’t disappoint. Now. let’s discuss the Baylor Odds-On Favorite to Go to Final Four March Madness South Region.
What Are Baylor Odds-On Favorite to Go to Final Four: March Madness South Region?
Two of the region favorites are already packing their bags. In the biggest upset so far, No. 15 seed Oral Roberts knocked out No. 2 seed Ohio State. Purdue is also out after losing to No. 13 North Texas. North Carolina, seen by many as a potential sleeper, dropped out, too. This turn of events will undoubtedly please Baylor fans. The Bears now have a much clearer path to Final Four. However, there’s still plenty of work to be done and several dangerous teams remaining in this part of the bracket. Here’s how oddsmakers see the chances of all remaining teams to get out of the South.
Baylor Bears -140
Arkansas Razorbacks +500
Texas Tech Red Raiders +500
Wisconsin Badgers +700
Villanova Wildcats +800
Florida Gators +1000
North Texas Mean Green +2000
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles +2500
Baylor Clear Favorites to Win South Region
Baylor dominated the Big 12 and ranked near the top in the country all season. They arrived at March Madness with an impressive 22-2 record. However, they slipped in the conference tournament, losing in the semis to Oklahoma State. Luckily for them, the Cowboys, as well as Kansas, another team that Baylor lost to this season, are not in their part of the bracket.
Despite the conference tournament hiccup, the Bears remain a legit championship contender. In the first round, they easily dealt with Hartford even though they shot only 41% from the field. The 2nd Round matchup is bound to be much more challenging. Baylor is going up against Wisconsin, a team loaded with senior experience and no stranger to upsets in previous years. The Badgers are well-coached, experienced, and are coming off an excellent shooting performance in the opening round. Beyond the round of 32, the biggest threats to Baylor’s Final Four aspirations are Arkansas, Texas Tech, and Villanova.
The Bears have an encouraging record this year on neutral courts. They are 5-1 in these games. KenPom ranks them as the No. 4 team in the nation and Baylor features the third-highest scoring offense in the country. The Bears are also No. 3 in adjusted offensive efficiency. This mostly due to the lethal 3-point-shooting. Coach Drew’s squad is likely the best shooting team in the tournament. On defense, they have the best perimeter defender in the country in Davion Mitchell. The rest of the Baylor backcourt also features above-average defenders. Their guards are also the main threat on offense. All-American junior, Jared Butler averages 17.0 points this season and is usually unstoppable penetrating to the basket. MaCio Teague is scoring 16.4 ppg and has shot over 50% from the field in 5 out of the last 6 games. The duo combined for 35 points against Hartford.
The only knock on Baylor’s Final Four chances is their historical record in the tournament. The last time they got to the last four was over 70 years ago. However, if there ever was a year for them to go all the way, it’s this one.
