The Norfolk State Spartans head to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears on Wednesday afternoon in an early game on the college basketball schedule. Baylor enters off a tough road loss at Memphis but remains a heavy favorite at home, while Norfolk State hopes to keep things respectable against one of the stronger offensive teams in the country. Here, I break down the numbers and narratives you need to know and give you my Norfolk State vs Baylor prediction.
Our Norfolk State vs Baylor Pick
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Norfolk State Spartans @ Baylor Bears
- Date & Time: December 10, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
- Venue: Foster Pavilion, Waco, Texas
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Baylor is coming off a 78–71 loss at Memphis, where turnovers and late-game scoring droughts halted their momentum. Freshman standout Tounde Yessoufou delivered 22 points, and he will be expected to have a big game in this contest against a weaker opponent on Baylor’s home floor.
- The Bears have been dominant at home with a 4–0 record. Their offensive output remains strong, averaging 87.8 points while producing 13.8 offensive rebounds per game, powered by Michael Rataj’s activity on the glass. Dan Skillings Jr. is also a key contributor on the backboards, averaging just over 3 offensive rebounds per game early in the year.
- Norfolk State enters at 4–6 and is winless on the road. A recent 98–61 defeat against a high-end opponent in Arizona exposed defensive concerns, particularly against teams from power conferences. After losing by 37 to a Big 12 team already this year, the Spartans will try to play a more competitive game in this contest.
- Baylor’s 47.1% shooting efficiency surpasses the defensive number Norfolk State concedes, while Norfolk State’s scoring efficiency faces a challenge against Baylor’s aggressive perimeter pressure. Baylor also has the superior athleticism going into this game and the Spartans will try to overcome that.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- Baylor leads the all-time series 5–0 over Norfolk State. Their last meeting resulted in a 94–69 Baylor win, and the Bears have averaged close to 89 points in those contests.
- Baylor is 3-5 against the spread heading into this matchup.
- Norfolk State is 4-3 against the spread so far this season.
- The Bears have gone over the total in 5 of their first 8 games.
- The under has cashed in 4 of Norfolk State’s 7 games that have featured a betting line.
Norfolk State vs Baylor Model Projection
Final Thoughts
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