No. 5 Baylor vs. Northern Colorado prediction, pick, odds: Baylor aims to continue momentum

Yardbarker Quick Pick

Sometimes we prefer to just keep it simple on the college hardwood. Baylor is the defending champion and one of the best teams in the nation. When Northern Colorado faced a team of similar caliber in Houston last Monday, they lost by 47 points. We're betting Baylor -27.5 in this one. — Griffin Carroll, Yardbarker

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Monday, 8 p.m. ET
Northern Colorado: +28 (-110) spread, moneyline NA, over 153 (-106)
@ Baylor: -1 (+180) spread, moneyline NA, under 153 (+100)

"That was the shot that was open," George said after the victory. "We were getting to the paint and finding each other open, and they were 3-balls. Luckily, they were falling for us. It's no coincidence. We're making shots, the ball's going to keep going in the rim."

George had a shaky shooting night in his college debut when Baylor rolled to a 117-53 victory over Mississippi Valley State.

He was a bit nervous early in the contest and never found a shooting flow. He had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds but was just 4 of 13 from the field, including 2 of 8 from 3-point range.

"I wasn't feeling it last game, but I was getting my teammates involved," said George, who is averaging 18.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds.

"The shots are going to fall, you just have to control what you can control. My shot was falling, and I was doing every little thing I could do. We came out with the win, and that's the most important thing."

Adam Flagler is averaging a team-best 19.5 points for Baylor. He has made 13 of 20 field-goal attempts, including 8 of 12 from 3-point range.

Jalen Bridges (16.5) and LJ Cryer (11.5) are also averaging double digits. Bridges, a transfer from West Virginia, scored 20 points against Norfolk State.

"You get guys who can create shots for him and get good looks, he can definitely put up numbers," Baylor coach Scott Drew said of Bridges.

Drew will see a familiar face on the court for Northern Colorado in freshman guard Caleb Shaw.

Shaw is Drew's nephew and he excelled with 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench as Northern Colorado (1-1) defeated Texas A&M Commerce 80-77 on Friday night.

Shaw made 6 of 8 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

"He had some great shots, he did some great things right," Northern Colorado coach Steve Smiley said of Shaw. "But at the same point in time, he made a huge winning play to help us seal that game with a rebound."

Dalton Knecht is averaging a team-high 13.5 points while Shaw and Daylen Kountz are averaging 13.0.

Kountz led the Big Sky in scoring (21.2) last season but got off to a dreadful start by missing all nine field-goal attempts and scoring just three points in a season-opening 83-36 loss at Houston. He scored 23 points in Friday's game.

Smiley, who is in his third season as coach, agreed to a contract extension through the 2026-27 season on Thursday.

Baylor won the lone previous meeting, 64-44 on Dec. 26, 1941 in Oklahoma City.