The No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs square off with the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers Thursday night in the round of 64. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Drake-Missouri prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Here are the Drake-Missouri College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
2025 March Madness Tournament Odds: Drake-Missouri Odds
Drake: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +220
Missouri: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -275
Over: 132.5 (-110)
Under: 132.5 (-110)
How to Watch Drake vs. Missouri
Time: 7:35 PM ET/4:35 PM PT
TV: TruTV
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Drake Will Cover The Spread/Win
Drake is one of the more impressive teams in the tournament. If there is one team to keep an eye on for a another run like the 2018 Loyola Chicago Ramblers, it is the Drake Bulldogs. They finished the regular season 30-3, and capped it off with a Missouri Valley Conference Championship. In fact, they enter the tournament on a seven-game win streak. They are going to make some noise, and anybody they play should be put on upset watch. If they can just play their brand of basketball, Drake will be able to cover the spread.
Drake wins their games because of their defensive play. The Bulldogs allow 58.4 points per game, which is the lowest in the nation. It is even lower than the historically good Houston Cougars defense. Additionally, the Bulldogs allow the fewest shots attempted per game, the second-fewest offensive rebounds per game, and they average the 20th-most steals per game in the country. This is a team that will not quit on defense, and they put a lot of pressure on opponents. If they can continue that in this game, Drake should be able to cover the spread, or possibly win this game.
Why Missouri Will Cover The Spread/Win
Missouri could easily be a lower seed in the tournament, but they are happy with a six. This season, the Tigers have beaten Kansas at home, Florida on the road, and Alabama at home. The team does a fantastic job against some tough competition, and they play in one of the hardest conferences in the country. They need to play like an SEC team, and not like a mid-major team in this one. If they play their game, the Tigers will be able to avoid being upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
As mentioned, Drake is one of the best defensive teams in the country. However, Missouri can score with the best of them. They average the ninth-most points per game in the country, they have the 19th-best field goal percentage, they shoot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc, and they get to the free throw line the third-most in the nation. They have to find a way to keep up this scoring against a very tough defensive team. If they can have anywhere close to the same offensive production in this game, Missouri is going to avoid being upset against a great team from the Missouri Valley Conference.
Final Drake-Missouri Prediction & Pick
This game is going to be close. I truly believe Drake will be able to pull off the upset in this game. In fact, I think Drake can make a run to the sweet 16. However, to stay safe, I am going to take the Bulldogs to just cover the spread.
Final Drake-Missouri Prediction & Pick: Drake +6.5 (-110)
The post Drake vs. Missouri prediction, odds, pick for Men’s March Madness 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
