How and what to watch for Auburn vs. No. 2 Baylor

The No. 2 Baylor Bears remain undefeated on the season and are one of the best teams in the nation, on Saturday afternoon they’ll welcome the 10-7 Auburn Tigers to Waco for this non-conference matchup.

The Bears don’t really have any noticeable weakness that teams can exploit. They score a lot, don’t allow a ton of points and don’t make many mistakes. Baylor is averaging close to 90 points per game, led by Jared Butler and MaCio Teague, who average 16 and 15 points per game respectively. They also have the 6’8 Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, who is a monster on the boards, nabbing an average of seven per game. Defensively KenPom currently has them sitting as the best overall defense in the county. The closest game they’ve played this season was an eight-point win.

The Tigers will have their work cut out for them in this one, which is probably why KenPom only gives them a seven percent chance to win. Their offense is solid, averaging close to 80 per game, but they’re going to have to elevate that if they want to take down this juggernaut. The Tigers have seen a spark since Sharife Cooper came into the fold. The freshman has only played in six games because of eligibility concerns earlier in the season, but he’s been insane since he’s hit the floor, averaging 26 points per game and even scored 28 last time out in a win over No. 12 Mizzou. He’ll have to play the best game of his career to topple the Bears, and for all we know he could do it.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Auburn vs. Baylor on Saturday, January 30th at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, or you can watch via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Baylor -15
Point total: 154
Money line: Auburn +850, Baylor -1667

The Best Bet

No team has come within eight points of Baylor this season so the onus of this game is on whether or not Auburn can cover as 13-point underdogs. With the freshman Cooper lighting it up for the Tigers, expect Auburn to do just enough to hit that benchmark even on the road.

Pick: Auburn +15

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