Hugh Freeze and Dave Aranda go head to head to open their college football seasons in Week 1, as the Baylor Bears host the Auburn Tigers at McLane Stadium. Neither team is ranked going into this matchup, but both could make a name for themselves in their respective conference. Nevertheless, the two schools meet up to open the season on Friday night. We’ve found our favorite picks in the contest for you below. I’ve already got some coin involving the Bears in a future, so let me show you how I plan on betting this matchup.
Let’s get to it!
Check out the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks. Plus, you’ve still got some time to add more futures to your portfolio so be sure to check out our Power Four Conference Previews below.
Auburn Tigers vs. Baylor Bears NCAA Football Insights
Sawyer Robertson and the Bears begin their season hosting Auburn of the SEC
To be completely honest with you, I’m anti Hugh Freeze and anti David Aranda. I wish they could both lose this contest, but ultimately, someone has to come out on top.
Auburn brings in Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold to lead the offense, and he is listed as the starting quarterback. However, Freeze has said that we might see three QBs from the Tigers in this game. That would mean Stanford transfer and dual threat Ashton Daniels and true freshman Deuce Knight might see some time.
In my eyes, you brought in Arnold to be the guy, let him be the guy. Regardless, I have little faith in Baylor.
They had an impressive win streak down the stretch last season, and return plenty of production. However I am a Dave Aranda doubter, and think it will be tough for Sawyer Robertson to keep up his performance from last season. Either way, we are in for a treat this Friday night in Waco.
Dave Aranda has led Baylor to just two winning seasons in five as their head coach. Yes, he has a Big 12 Championship under his belt, but he’s just 1-2 in bowl games and has 2-7 and 3-9 seasons on his record. Will he be able to turn things around and put together two winning years in a row in Waco?
Dave Aranda is 31-30 as Head Coach of the Baylor Bears
Matchup Information – Auburn vs. Baylor – August 29
- Venue & Location: McLane Stadium (Waco, TX)
- Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
- Kick Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: FOX
Auburn vs. Baylor Betting Odds
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Spread
- Auburn -2.5 (-111)
- Baylor +2.5 (-109)
Moneyline
- Auburn -137
- Baylor +117
Total
- Over 58 (-115)
- Under 58 (-105)
Getting a feel for the rest of the market, I believe I am personally lower on these teams than compared to the general public. There is hype around the Tigers to sneak their way back to the top of the SEC, and I’ve seen plenty of Baylor Big 12 Champion tickets.
They do return 10/11 offensive starters who ended the season putting up 39.9 points per contest in their final seven games while going 6-1 down the stretch. However they lost to the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl, and lost all three matchups against ranked opponents last year. Can Robertson shine when the lights are bright on Friday night?
I don’t think either team makes a splash this season. However, someone needs to win this game. I lean towards Auburn, mainly rooting for my Baylor Win Total under ticket, but I have placed actual beans on a player prop.
Auburn vs. Baylor NCAA Football Picks and Predictions
Eric Singleton Jr. has had 700 receiving yards in two straight seasons
Auburn vs. Baylor Prediction: Auburn Wins and Covers, Over 58
Best Bet: Eric Singleton Jr. (AUB) Over 45.5 Receiving Yards (-114) BetOnline
I think Auburn wins, but ultimately I think we see tons of points. Clearly the sportsbooks think so as well, as this total is now priced at 58 after opening closer to 56.5. It’s probably going to be a shootout, meaning it will be a great game for player props.
Eric Singleton Jr. comes over to Auburn after two seasons at Georgia Tech. Not only was this guy the No. 1 overall wide receiver in the transfer portal this offseason, but he had two straight 700 yard seasons catching passes from Haynes King. One could definitely argue that Jackson Arnold slings the pill better than King (no disrespect).
Singleton Jr. caught 5+ receptions in 8/12 games last year, and is the kind of guy that demands targets. I expect Freeze to call his number early and often in order to build plenty of chemistry with the Tigers’ new QB. Now, last season, the Bears ranked No. 100 (of 134 teams) in passing yards allowed per game, giving up nearly 250 yards through the air and over 8.8 per drop back. I’m not sure the Bears’ secondary has improved enough to give me extra faith in that defensive unit.
Give me this new wide out to hear his name called plenty in this Week 1 opener.
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