If defeating the same team two times in a row is one of the toughest things to do in sports, the
Baylor Bears
are in good shape entering the Big 12 conference tournament.
Baylor men’s basketball is seeking to win its second March Madness title.
In 2021, the Bears won the
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
and were crowned champions of Division-1. This time, the Bears are not going to be a No. 1 seed as they were two years ago. But, the team is one of the highest ranked in the nation and is considered one of the teams with the best chance to win the tournament.
According to FanDuel, Baylor is +1500 to win March Madness. Only five teams have lower odds to be crowned champions on April 3 when the national championship game is played in Houston.
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When Baylor Won March Madness
The 2020-21 Baylor Bears team was one of the most dominant teams in the recent history of March Madness. In the regular season, the Bears were 17-0 before the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the schedule. After more than three weeks off, the Bears defeated Iowa State to improve to 18-0. But in their next game Baylor lost decisively to Kansas, the No. 17 team in the country.
The Bears, led by junior Jared Butler, finished the regular season 21-1, but lost in the Big 12 conference tournament semifinals to Oklahoma State. Still, the selection committee announced during Selection Sunday that Baylor was a No. 1 seed.
The Bears won every game in March Madness by at least nine points in 2021. They won by an average of 14 points. They beat three ranked teams (Villanova, Arkansas, and Houston) to advance to the championship game. That’s when Baylor bounced Tournament Overall No. 1 Gonzaga, 86-70, giving the Bears the first men’s basketball championship in school history.
Four players from the 2021 team are still on the roster: L.J. Cryer, Adam Flagler, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, and Flo Thamba. But the Bears are led by freshman point guard Keyonte George and his 16 PPG. The strength of this team is their hyper-efficient offense. More than likely, Baylor will be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Baylor is priced at +320 to make the
Final Four.
Basketball fans in the state of Texas are anticipating a potential matchup between Baylor and the University of Houston, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation. The only time the Bears won March Madness, they defeated Houston in the tournament.
Baylor’s History in March Madness
The Baylor Bears have made 14 appearances in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, or March Madness as it’s commonly known. The school has made seven appearances in the last nine years.
2021: National Champions
2017: Sweet Sixteen
2014: Sweet Sixteen
2012: Elite Eight
2010: Elite Eight
1950: Final Four
1948: NCAA Tournament Runner-up
1946: Elite Eight
The 2020-21 finished a mission it had been forced to abandon the previous season when the 2019-20 NCAA tournament had been canceled due to COVID. That team went 26-4 and was ranked in the top five nationally for the entire season. After the disappointment of that season when the tourney was scrubbed, the Bears came back to go 22-2 entering March Madness in 2021.
Texas is known primarily as a football state. But it’s more accurate to call it a sports state. The Houston Astros are the defending World Series champion. The University of Houston men’s basketball team is ranked number one this season. Only three years ago, Baylor’s women’s team won the Div-1 NCAA Women’s Basketball title. And of course, Baylor won the men’s March Madness title two seasons ago.
Friday Night Lights might be what many people think of when they imagine Texas sports, but hoops and ballers are taking over the Lone Star State. The Baylor Bears again have their followers dreaming of a Final Four appearance and a title.
It will take six wins in March Madness for the Bears to be champions again. According to Team Rankings, Baylor is most likely to be a No. 3 seed. Head coach Scott Drew has guided the Bears to 14 20-win seasons. This year will be the 11th NCAA Tournament appearance for the school under Drew. The culture of Bears basketball has changed under Drew, where his stated goal of making Baylor the “Duke of the Southwest” is coming true.
1948 National Runner-Up Baylor Bears
The 1948 Baylor Bears may be forgotten by some, but their place in history is safe. That team went 24-8 and was led by head coach Bill Henderson, who guided the Bears to the Final Four twice.
Back in the 1940s, only eight teams were invited to the March Madness tournament. Baylor defeated Washington and Kansas State before succumbing to Kentucky in the National Final. 60-54. On the court, they were led by Red Owens, Bill Johnson, and Don Heathington.
Betting Facts About March Madness
The March Madness tournament is one of the most popular sporting events in the world. That means loads of television viewers, tickets sold, and live online streaming. It also means sports wagering.
With more than 30 states having legalized sports betting, it’s expected that the NCAA Basketball Tournament will draw many sports bettors, casual and serious.
Last year, according to the American Gaming Association, 17% of U.S. adults planned to bet on March Madness. It was estimated that $3.1 billion was wagered on the 67 games of the tournament. That makes March Madness the second-most wagered event in the U.S., next to the Super Bowl.
In every legal jurisdiction, odds will be available for every game in the NCAA Tournament, as well as futures odds.
What are March Madness Futures Odds?
The Baylor Bears are +2000 to win March Madness, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. That means a winning $100 bet would get you $2,000.
That’s a futures bet: a wager on the outcome of some future event, such as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. For March Madness there are two types of futures bets: overall winner and Final Four. In the Final Four futures bet, odds are on whether a school will reach the Final Four. DraftKings sports betting app has the Bears priced at +450 to reach the Final Four for the second time in three years.
If you have a favorite to win the tournament, now is the time, even before Selection Sunday, to wager on a futures bet for March Madness. That’s because the odds will be longer before the tournament starts.
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