I think Gonzaga is a legitimate national title contender this season.

It's rare to see so much returning production for a powerhouse program in the transfer portal era, but Mark Few returns over 80% of last year's minutes.

Meanwhile, Baylor lost three starters to the NBA draft and will once again turn around its backcourt. Still, the Bears are full of offensive talent.

It's the defensive side of the ball where things get tough in Waco.

Read on for my Baylor-Gonzaga predictions and my college basketball picks for this monster opener.

Baylor vs Gonzaga odds

Baylor vs Gonzaga Prediction

(11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

The Bears run a sprawling pick-and-roll attack based on athletic coverage and elite shooting.

There will be no problems in executing this roster.

Five-star recruit VJ Edgecombe should be the next freshman phenom in Waco as he is a true offensive option who will dominate in ball tests.

Returning wingers Jayden Nunn and Langston Love each hit over 44% of their shots from deep last year, and head coach Scott Drew brought in two elite inside-out players in Jeremy Roach (43% from 3 last year with Duke) and Norchad Omier. Weapons from the portal (35% vs. 3 last year with Miami).

The offense should play against Gonzaga as I expect the Bulldogs' ball coverage to decline after the team lost superstar defenseman Anton Watson to a graduation in the offseason.

Conversely, Baylor's defense has faltered in recent seasons as Drew's patented no-middle system has lost its fastball.

The Bears' interior defense was atrocious last year (52% 2-point shooting allowed, 257th nationally), and their transition defense was similarly leaky (1.09 PPP allowed, 20th percentile).

That doesn't bode well for the Zags, who put relentless pressure on the rim in transition.

And here too, with all the recurring production, I don't expect any decline in production.

Graham Ike is one of the best inside scoring bigs in the country, Ben Gregg is a problem up front, and the wing corps is deep and explosive (especially with Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi and Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle in the mix).

Betting on college basketball?

Choosing between Baylor and Gonzaga

Ultimately, I'm expecting a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. Both strong offenses have clear and easy ways to score points against opposing defenses.

Choose: Over 156.5 (-110, DraftKings)

Why you should trust New York Post Betting

Tanner McGrath has been a professional sports handicapper since 2018. He specializes in college sports and baseball and is a die-hard fan of the Vermont Catamounts, the Miami Marlins and all the underdogs in his homeland. He found himself on the wrong side of the Miami Miracle in 2018, but made up for it four years later by beating Sandy Alcantara at 40/1 to win the NL Cy Young.