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The madness of March has finally arrived as 12-seed Drake looks to play spoiler to against five-seed Miami. It is time to take a look at our March Madness odds series where our Drake-Miami prediction and pick will be revealed.
Capping off their regular season by going 27-7 and winning the MVC Championship by defeating Bradley in impressive fashion. An elite three-point shooting team, can the Bulldogs get hot enough from beyond the arc to pull off the eyebrow-raising upset?
After going on a remarkable and magical run to the Elite Eight last March, the Hurricanes are back and as better than ever. Compiling a 25-7 record throughout the season-long campaign, Miami's conference tournament hopes fell short in losing to Duke in the ACC semifinals, but don't sleep on the Hurricanes' chances to make a deep run during this tournament.
Here are the Drake-Miami March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Drake-Miami Odds
Drake: +1.5 (-102)
Miami: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 146.5 (-105)
Under: 146.5 (-115)
How To Watch Drake vs. Miami
TV: TBS
Stream: March Madness Live App
Time: 7:25 ET/4:25 PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Drake Could Cover The Spread
A popular pick to bust some brackets this fall, the Bulldogs have the perfect roster makeup to contend with Miami's length and athleticism. In fact, Drake is has been one of the more consistent mid-major programs over the last several years, as the Bulldogs are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons.
If Drake is going to shock America and stun the Hurricanes, the Bulldogs happen to have four players shooting at least 36% from beyond the arc. Without a doubt, this could propose some major issues to the Miami perimeter defense as the ‘Canes have been fairly average in defending the three-point ball this season. Alas, if Drake finds their rhythm in this department from the opening tip and avoids shooting dry spells that could cause trouble, then the Bulldogs will be in good shape to cover and possibly even win.
Of course. over the illustrious and entertaining history of March Madness, the 12-5 seed matchups have always caused some sort of havoc each year. Believe it or not, every year expect for 2015 and 2018 has seen a twelve-seed advance to at least the Round of 32. Conversely enough, Drake should be considered as good of an upset pick as ever with their experience-driven starting lineup and their ability to shoot lights out.
Why Miami Could Cover The Spread
Like previously mentioned, the Hurricanes have tasted success from last season's tournament chaos, as another deep run would do wonders for the Miami basketball program. Although the Hurricanes have the talent and are battle tested to go extremely far, Miami must take this entire process one game at a time.
While it is hard to go wrong with any Miami player on this roster, the most electric and dynamic happens to come in the form of junior guard Isaiah Wong. Not only is Wong the ACC Player of the Year, but he is also in a comfortable rhythm after pouring in 22 points in the narrow loss to the Duke Blue Devils. Alas, Miami's guard play is hands down the biggest reason why they will have a tremendous chance to cover the spread in this one.
Outside of being the highest-scoring offense in the ACC at 79.4 PPG, the Hurricanes also know how to force turnovers on the defensive side of the ball. With more than seven steals per game, Miami is extremely active with their hands defensively, and creating havoc to make Drake uncomfortable could be the perfect ingredient en route to the spread-covering victory.
In addition, Miami has been slightly better than Drake this season in regards to covering the spread, as the Hurricanes have posted an 18-14 record ATS in their 32 games played overall. Regardless of the swirling rumors of Drake being a popular upset pick, bettors should keep in mind that Miami has been slightly better against the spread.
Final Drake-Miami Prediction & Pick
Call me crazy, but I LOVE Drake in this matchup. It is almost certain every year that a twelve-seed will beat a five-seed, and it appears that Drake has a fantastic chance to cover and pull off the upset if they can play as a team and avoid dumb turnovers that will only waste possessions down the stretch.
Final Drake-Miami Prediction & Pick: Drake +1.5 (-102)
