The Auburn Tigers take on the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Auburn is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -130. Baylor, meanwhile, comes into the game at +110 to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 58.5 points.
Here’s my Auburn vs. Baylor prediction and college football picks for Friday, August 29.
Auburn vs Baylor Prediction
- Auburn vs. Baylor Pick: Auburn ML -125 or Better
My Baylor vs. Auburn best bet is on the Tigers to win the game outright. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Auburn vs Baylor Odds
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -105 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
| Baylor Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -115 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
- Auburn vs Baylor Spread: Auburn -2.5, Baylor +2.5
- Auburn vs Baylor Over/Under: 58.5 Points
- Auburn vs Baylor Moneyline: Auburn -130, Baylor +110
Auburn vs Baylor College Football Betting Preview
Auburn Tigers Betting Preview: Clear Improvement
No team may have improved more through the portal during the 2025 cycle than Auburn.
Head coach Hugh Freeze had a scoring issue in 2024, finishing 110th in Offensive Finishing Drives. The talent level on the offensive side will be the best after two years of mistakes and inefficient play.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold transfers in from Oklahoma after the Sooners suffered injury setbacks on the offensive line and skill positions. The junior finished last year with a 12:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio but now inherits one of the most explosive wide receiver groups in FBS.
Wideout Cam Coleman returns after a 54-target campaign that resulted in eight touchdowns.
Slot receiver Malcolm Simmons compiled an explosive 2.3 yards per route run, but he's now overlooked by Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr. and former Wake Forest receiver Horatio Fields.
Singleton is the most explosive of the bunch, as he was used all over the field in the Yellow Jackets' offense.
Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will field several run stoppers in the 3-3-5. The Tigers finished sixth in Defensive Line Yards last season.
Keldric Faulk will be one of the highest-drafted edges in 2026, and he generated 30 solo tackles and seven sacks in 2024.
The portal was also utilized on defense, drawing shutdown cornerback Raion Strader from Miami (OH). The junior transfer had 13 pass breakups and two interceptions for the RedHawks a season ago.
Baylor Bears Betting Preview: Doubts in Secondary
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson may not have won the starting job out of the gate in 2024, but he took over in the second game and never looked back. The senior threw for 28 touchdowns and generated more than 3,000 passing yards in 2024.
Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will keep the spread attack going despite Robertson's poor big-time throw to turnover-worthy play ratio.
Wideout Josh Cameron returns after recording 75 targets, and his 10 receiving touchdowns make him the most dangerous weapon on the field for the Bears.
Baylor had plenty of success defending the run, an expectation that has carried over into this season with star linebacker Keaton Thomas.
The biggest question entering the season is the improvement of the secondary. Head coach Dave Aranda's defense finished 118th in coverage grading, per PFF, also generating a pass rush in the bottom 15 of FBS.
Safety Devyn Bobby returns after recording just a single pass breakup, allowing 57% of the 37 targets from opposing quarterbacks to average 14 yards per catch.
Auburn vs Baylor Pick, Betting Analysis
Despite Caden Jenkins' return at cornerback for Baylor, this could be a tough night for the Bears' secondary.
Auburn will field four targets capable of lining up anywhere on the field, using jet sweeps and misdirections to produce explosive plays on the ground or through the air.
Second-level tackling could also play a factor in the success of the Bears' defense after finishing 93rd in tackling and 85th in Defensive Pass EPA.
The experience of Auburn's offensive line could be the key difference in keeping Arnold upright. The Tigers have more than 140 combined offensive line starts, good enough to rank seventh among all FBS teams.
Auburn's addition of Durrell Robinson from UConn as the primary running back will help with the loss of Jarquez Hunter.
Arnold should also thrive after posting a 27% pressure-to-sack ratio at Oklahoma last year. Jackson and the revamped Auburn receiving corps will be the difference in this contest.
Pick: Auburn ML -125 or Better
