2024 NCAAF Cheat Sheet: Baylor Bears Stats Odds
2024 Baylor Bears Stats: Make or Break For Aranda
The Baylor Bears won the Big 12 in 2021. It wasn’t long ago when Baylor was considered one of the best teams in the nation. The Bears would’ve made the College Football Playoff that year after going 12-2.
However, the last couple of seasons have been a wash. Baylor went 6-7 in 2022 and lost in the Armed Forces Bowl. Then, Baylor finished 3-9 and 2-7 in the Big 12 last season. They were tied for 11th in the Big 12 last year.
As we all know, the conference isn’t any easier after it expanded with many Pac-12 teams this season. This will be a pressure-filled season for head coach Dave Aranda.
Does Baylor have enough to be competitive this year?
Let’s look at the projected 2024 Baylor Bears stats below.
Baylor At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Championship | +50000 | +100000 |
| Conference | +6000 | +8000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 5.5 (o+138, u-170) | 5.5 (o+138, u-170) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes +5000 | Yes +5000 |
Make Or Break For Dave Aranda
After the 2021 dominance, many thought Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears were headed in the right direction. But that was far from the case. Instead, last season, many analysts projected Aranda would be fired by the end of the year.
Ultimately, he wasn’t fired. But another three-win season could lead to one by the end of the year.
Baylor added a former Texas State head coach as the new offensive coordinator. He loves an up-tempo offense and has had his offenses finish in the top 20 in the nation six times in his career. However, Blake Shapen, the former quarterback for Baylor, left for Mississippi State. Therefore, the Bears had to bring in a transfer quarterback, Dequan Finn, who has much experience from his time with Toledo in the MAC.
Finn will be playing in the Big 12 for the first time. Still, he was the MAC Player of the Year last season. Baylor hopes he’ll continue his strong play in Baylor green.
Aranda’s job will depend on Finn’s play at the end of the day. We’ll see if the offensive 2024 Baylor Bears stats will improve.
Championship Odds: Not Happening
The Big 12 is filled with talent. Baylor is not close to being the most talented team in the conference.
The offense has a lot of work to do with many transfers and unknowns. However, the defense has returned many players from last year’s team. Under Aranda, the defense was supposed to be top-tier. But this team struggled mightily defensively, allowing a conference-worse 33.3 points per game.
While you expect improvement, it’s hard to imagine the near-same group playing at a high level defensively this year. After looking through the college football championship odds, don’t bet on Baylor.
Conference Odds: Baylor Might Not Even Win Multiple Games In Conference
Baylor’s college football preseason rankings will be in the 65-70 range. They’re not projected to be even close to a top-25 team. In addition, Baylor will likely be underdogs in most games this season. They’ll add a win over Tarleton State to begin the season and will likely escape Air Force at home. They’ll be favorites in those earlier games, but they’ll likely struggle to beat Utah, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU, Kansas, and Houston.
Look, it’s not the most demanding schedule in America. They’ve got potential at Baylor. But the roster doesn’t look as good as some of the other teams in the conference.
Regular Season Wins: Will Baylor Even Make a Bowl Game?
Baylor will begin the season with a win over Tarleton State. However, they’ll likely lose to Utah on the road in the second matchup.
Still, Baylor will be in a good position with a win against the Air Force in the following game. At 2-1, Baylor even has a chance to earn a road win against Colorado.
At 3-1, Baylor would need three more wins to earn the win total of 5.5 at plus money. But where would that come from?
They still have BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Houston, and Kansas on the schedule.
They’ll claw out a win or two. But three wins seem difficult.
Unleashed#SicEm pic.twitter.com/64iqHyizPk
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) July 31, 2024
To Make Playoffs: Don’t Do It!
Dave Aranda and Baylor have surprised before. They had a 12-win season just a few years ago. However, they’re relying on a quarterback who hasn’t played Power 5 football and didn’t add depth to the defense despite their issues last season.
Side Bets
If the Baylor Bears somehow make it into the College Football Playoff or win the Big 12, Dequan Finn would get most of the credit. He already won the MAC Player of the Year last year, so winning awards is in his DNA.
- That said, his Heisman odds are currently at +18000. It’s doubtful he will win the Heisman. But even $1 on Finn would get you $180. If you believe in the 2024 Baylor Bears stats, consider adding some changes on Finn to win the Heisman.
