Pick details
| MATCHUP | Northwestern State Demons | Baylor Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Where | Foster Pavilion, Waco, TX | |
| When | Monday, November 2, 2026 | |
| Time | 09:30 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Northwestern State vs Baylor Prediction
In this Northwestern State vs Baylor Prediction, Baylor is coming as -30.5 home favorites. Baylor is projected as #29 for the upcoming College Basketball Season, following a mediocre season, the Bears have reworked their roster and will look to translate their influx of talent into a return to NCAA Tournament contention. They were excellent offensively, ranking on the top-50 of the country both in points per game and in field goal percentage and were top-100 both in rebounding and in assists made. On the flip side, Northwestern State is projected as #330 for the upcoming College Basketball Season, as they face another challenging rebuilding year, with their first priority is improving their terrible offense that was on the bottom-40 of the entire country last season. The Demons were terrible on the road last season and now have to open their season with a road game against a projected top-30 team in the country, so I expect them to get blown out. Take Baylor and lay the big number at home.
Baylor Bears Preview
The Baylor Bears finished last season with a 17-17 overall record and had a 6-12 conference record and were placed 13th in the Big 12. They had a 11-6 home record and a 3-7 road record.
Offensively, they averaged 81.7 points per game (ranking 50th in the nation), while allowing 76.4 points per game defensively (251st). They had a 117.2 offensive rating (ranking 43rd) and a 109.6 defensive rating (242nd). The Bears shot with 47.6% from the field (ranking 42nd in the nation) and 33.9% from beyond the arc (156th), while grabbing 36.8 rebounds per game (100th in the nation) and averaging 15.4 assists per game (93rd). They had 4 blocks per game (76th in the nation) and 6.5 steals per game (200th).
Cameron Carr led Baylor in scoring, with an average of 18.9 ppg on 49.4% shooting from the field, adding 5.8 rebounds while shooting 80.1% from the free throw line. Tounde Yessoufou followed with 17.8 ppg on 46.5% shooting from the field and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Obi Agbim added 10.7 ppg on 37.5% shooting from the field and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Northwestern State Demons Preview
The Northwestern State Demons finished last season with a 10-22 overall record and had a 8-14 conference record and were placed 7th in the Southland. They had a 9-5 home record and a 3-14 road record.
Offensively, they averaged 68.3 points per game (ranking 331st in the nation), while allowing 72.4 points per game defensively (134th). They had a 103.5 offensive rating (ranking 306th) and a 109.8 defensive rating (247th). The Demons shot with 43.7% from the field (ranking 270th in the nation) and 33.2% from beyond the arc (224th), while grabbing 31.4 rebounds per game (337th in the nation) and averaging 11.9 assists per game (318th). They had 2.4 blocks per game (320th in the nation) and 6.4 steals per game (205th).
Micah Thomas led Northwestern State in scoring, with an average of 16.8 ppg on 42.2% shooting from the field, adding 2 rebounds while shooting 92% from the free throw line. Izzy Miles followed with 10.5 ppg on 43.4% shooting from the field and 2.5 rebounds per game, while Willie Williams added 9.8 ppg on 61.5% shooting from the field and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Northwestern State Demons @ Baylor Bears Betting Trends: November 2, 2026
Why the Baylor Bears will win
- Baylor has won each of its last 14 home games against the Southland Conference.
- Northwestern State has lost each of its last seven night games against non-Conference opponents.
- Northwestern State has lost the first half in each of its last 16 road games against the Big 12 Conference.
Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Baylor -30.5
