Gonzaga vs. Baylor: Prediction, Odds, Spread For NCAA National Championship Game

After all of the upsets and Cinderella stories, the 2021 NCAA Tournament comes down to the March Madness favorites. No. 1 seeds Gonzaga and Baylor meet Monday night in college basketball’s national championship game as each team tries to cap off a phenomenal season by winning its first title.

With a perfect record, Gonzaga entered the tournament as the clear favorite to be the last team standing in the field of 68. Baylor had the second-best championship odds of any tournament team, and the Bears have played as well as anyone over the past few weeks.

All five of Baylor’s tournament wins have come by at least nine points. The Bears were dominant in their Final Four victory over No. 2 Houston, winning 78-59 in a contest that was essentially decided by halftime.

Gonzaga barely survived its Final Four matchup with No. 11 UCLA. The Bulldogs needed overtime and a miracle buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs to defeat the Bruins 93-90 in one of the greatest semifinal games in recent memory.

Despite the scare, Gonzaga is still favored to cut down the nets Monday at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. The betting line is 4.5 points, according to point spreads compiled by OddsShark. The game’s over/under is 159.5.

No one has been able to stop the Bulldogs as Saturday’s game with UCLA marked just the second time this season that Gonzaga won by fewer than double digits. The team’s roster is stacked with NBA talent, averaging more than 90 points per game.

Drew Timme has further elevated his game in the tournament, averaging 22.0 points per game on 64.2% shooting. Corey Kispert is averaging 18.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season.

Suggs, a projected top-three draft pick, has risen to the occasion with averages of 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in the last two games. Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga’s fourth-leading scorer, put up 22 points on just 12 field-goal attempts against UCLA.

A different star seems to emerge for Baylor every night. The Bears have had four different leading scorers in their five tournament games. Jared Butler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell headline a loaded backcourt that has led Baylor to a 27-2 record.

Baylor is the nation’s best three-point shooting team, making 41.2% of its attempts. The Bears are 19-for-39 from behind the arc over the last two games. That kind of shooting could potentially knock off the Bulldogs.

But no one has been able to upset Gonzaga this season, even a UCLA team that played a near-perfect game. Look for the Bulldogs to complete their perfect 32-0 season and become the first unbeaten national champion in 45 years.

Prediction: Gonzaga over Baylor, 90-83