Bulldogs Could Give Bears Trouble On Home Territory

The 2019 season marked a return to prominence for a Baylor Bears program that went 1-11 just two years earlier. But staying on top could prove difficult as the Bears kick off their 2020 season Saturday afternoon against visiting Louisiana Tech – Baylor is down a ton of departing talent and could struggle mightily to keep opposing offenses off the scoreboard this year.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The line has stayed right where it opened at the majority of sportsbooks, though bettors will find -17 in spots. The total of 53.5 has risen by a point pretty much everywhere.

Louisiana Tech News & Notes

It’s hard to know what to expect from the Bulldogs, who rattled off 10 wins behind one of the most prolific offenses in Conference USA. A humdrum offensive line will have to deal with the departure of three starters, while the QB situation remains in flux as ex-juco transfer Westin Elliott, graduate transfer Luke Anthony and sophomore Aaron Allen vie for the starting gig.

The defense is a major question mark for Louisiana Tech going into the season, and it could be a long-term issue. The Bulldogs finished 122nd in the country in sack rate last year and are down two of their top three pash rushers from 2019. Meanwhile, the secondary features zero returning starters to a unit that forced an interception on more than four percent of pass attempts.

Baylor News & Notes

Sack and get sacked: that’s the story of the Bears’ 2019 season. Quarterback Charlie Brewer spent too much time running for his life as Baylor’s offensive line surrendered a sack on 8.33 percent of dropbacks (107th in the country). Brewer still managed to throw for 3,161 yards and 21 touchdowns but will need more protection if he hopes to reach another level in 2020.

The defense did its part to even things out for Brewer and the Baylor offense, recording a sack on 8.63 percent of opponent dropbacks (16th) while averaging 3.29 sacks per game (tied for ninth). Fast-forward a year and the Big 12’s No. 1 pass rush is returning just two starters, while nine of the top 11 tacklers are no longer with the team.

Betting Pick: Louisiana Tech +17.5 (-110)

The Bears might ultimately be the better team, but they have a lot of holes to fill on defense – and that’s the one area where Louisiana might have an edge. We like the Bulldogs to keep this one competitive.