Auburn vs. No. 20 Baylor Tuesday college basketball odds: Tigers star Johni Broome cleared to play; game taking split betting action

We don't normally see a pair of excellent power conference programs face off in a college basketball season opener. Coaches like to schedule a few cupcakes so players can get into rhythm before taking on an equal-level opponent. Thus, kudos to Auburn and No. 20 Baylor for agreeing to tip their seasons off on Tuesday against one another from Sioux Falls, S.D., with the Bears at +1.5 on the SportsLine consensus after opening as high as -2.5. Click here for model picks. 

This is the most-wagered college basketball game of the night at DraftKings, and Baylor is taking the fourth-most money of any school on the board against the spread and leads in handle on the money line. There's a slight money and tickets lean on Over 148 points. 

The spread shift is no doubt because Auburn's best player, forward Johni Broome, and five-star freshman Aden Holloway have both been cleared to play after recovering from minor injuries.

Broome is one of the top big men in the SEC and was named the preseason All-SEC first team, as well as to just about every major award watchlist. The Tigers' top returning scorer (14.2 points per game), rebounder (8.4 RPG) and shot blocker (2.4 BPG) is the only returning player in the SEC who averaged at least 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season.

Holloway was the fifth McDonald's All-American to ever commit to Auburn and finished the 2023 cycle rated by sister-site 247Sports as the No. 16 player in the country and the No. 3 point guard. Last year at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., he led the Crew to a No. 3 national ranking and 36-1 overall record, averaging a team-best 18.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Only Jabari Smith, who was an All-American and became a top-five NBA draft pick by Houston after his lone season on the Plains, ever joined Auburn basketball as a better-rated prospect.

Forward Jaylin Williams is on the cusp of becoming the winningest player in program history. His 87 career victories leave him tied with former Tigers Allen Flanigan (2019-23), Anfernee McLemore (2016-20) and Scott Pohlman (1997-2001).

Auburn, which finished 21-13 overall under coach Bruce Pearl in 2022-23, was picked to finish sixth in the SEC behind preseason favorite Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky and Alabama.

"People ask me, 'Why the game? Why'd you take the game? Why go all the way to South Dakota?' It's real simple. Just to try to stay relevant in the world of college basketball, which is harder and harder to do now," Pearl said.  "Baylor is a preseason top-20 team. We're not. Baylor has three guys that have been selected in various forms of All-Big 12 stuff. We have one in Johni Broome."

The Tigers have won 12 straight season openers and are 9-0 in them under Pearl, winning those games by an average score of 85.6-68.4 for an average margin of victory of 17.1 points. This will be Auburn's first-ever game in the state of South Dakota.

Baylor finished 23-11 last year and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Scott Drew lost Big 12 Freshman of the Year Keyonte George, first-team All-Big 12 pick Adam Flagler and third-team selection LJ Cryer.

To replace them, Drew has added MAC Player of the Year RayJ Dennis from Toledo and Jayden Nunn from VCU, Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year Ja'Kobe Walter and 6-4 Finnish National Team player Miro Little.

Walter is ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit and No. 1 shooting guard in the country by 247Sports. Over 9.5 points for Walters tonight (-120) is one of the most popular college hoops props at DraftKings. Junior Dantwan Grimes is good to go -- he redshirted last year after earning NJCAA All-America honors the season before. Forward Jalen Bridges (10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds) is Baylor's only returner that averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season with the Bears. Bridges Over 5.5 rebounds (-115) is also popular.

Baylor has won four straight openers under Drew and is 18-2 in them all-time under him. Baylor has won 19 of its last 20 neutral-site games against non-conference opponents. The Bears are 5-2 vs. Auburn and won the last meeting in 2021. Williams led the Tigers with 17 points.  

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