Baylor vs. Minnesota Picks and Predictions: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed Apr 01, 2026, 4:20 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The College Basketball Crown begins tonight in Las Vegas, as the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Colorado Buffaloes. But there is some late night action as we have another CBC Quarterfinal matchup afterwards featuring the Baylor Bears and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Bears finished the season exactly .500 with a 16-16 record, while the Gophers need two wins to get back to even as they finished 15-17. Who will come out on top? Let's check out our favorite picks and find out.
Check out our March Madness Betting Guide to get in on all the action this month!
Best Bet: Baylor -4 (-115) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.
Baylor Bears vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Basketball Insights
Cade Tyson and Minnesota face the Baylor Bears tonight in the College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
Baylor played one Big Ten team this season, beating the Washington Huskies by nine at home as six point favorites. When the Golden Gophers played the Huskies, they lost by 12 on the road as 6.5 point underdogs. By the looks of it, that is the only power five common opponent between these two teams. Both beat up on Alcorn State when facing the Braves.
The Gophers have a couple of players who have entered the portal already, while the Bears team is in full force. Will that come into play tonight as Scott Drew leads his team against Niko Medved's squad?
Matchup Information – Baylor vs. Minnesota – April 1
- Venue & Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- Tip Off: 10:30 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: FS1
Baylor vs. Minnesota Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of April 1, 2026 at 3:22 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Baylor -4 (-115)
- Minnesota +4 (-105)
Moneyline
- Baylor -188
- Minnesota +153
Total
- Over 147.5 (-111)
- Under 147.5 (-109)
Baylor vs. Minnesota NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Can Baylor take down the Gophers in the College Basketball Crown?
Baylor vs. Minnesota Prediction: Baylors Wins and Covers, Over 147.5
Best Bet: Baylor -3.5 (-115) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
The Baylor Bears are simply the more talented team with the better coach in this situation. Neither team was all that great away from home this season, but I think the Golden Gophers benefited a lot more from playing at home in The Barn. Away from there, they are a much different team. Baylor is ranked 10 spots higher overall according to Bart Torvik, and despite struggling down the stretch, the Bears played a MUCH tougher schedule.
Overall, Baylor played the 24th toughest schedule in college hoops, and their non conference schedule was still in the top 150. Minnesota only played the 62nd toughest schedule in basketball, but they also played a bottom 12 non conference strength of schedule as well. Baylor is battle tested, and they are better prepared for this game.
This team ranks No. 22 overall in terms of offensive efficiency and are a top 12 offensive rebounding team as well. Plus, they keep teams off the free throw line. The Gophers are bottom 80 in the country in terms off offensive rebounding and are north of 200 in eFG% defense. Minnesota will try to slow things down, but if the Bears turn it into a shootout, which they'll try to do, the Gophers do NOT have the offense to keep up.
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Check Out the Other March Madness Content from Betting News
For college basketball bettors, March Madness is the most wonderful time of the year. And at Betting News, we have you covered for this festively fun season with expert picks throughout the tournament from Nate Hornung and Eddie Griffin, consensus picks for every March Madness game from the First Four to the Final Four, a rundown of the best March Madness betting sites, and more.
Also, through our streams and social media channels, you can get even more insight from Nate and other members of the Betting News team, as well as offer your own thoughts and tips for the tournament.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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