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It's time for some March Madness as the Drake Bulldogs face off with the Washington State Cougars in the first round at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. We're here to share our college basketball odds series, make a Drake-Washington State prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
Drake defeated the Indiana State Sycamores 84-80 to win the Missouri Valley Tournament. Now, they hope to take the next step and make some headway in the NCAA Tournament. Some of their players to watch for this showdown include Tucker DeVries, who hit the go-ahead shot. Darnell Brodie and Atin Wright will also be players to watch as the Bulldogs look for a spark to run the gauntlet. Ultimately, they hope to keep shooting hot, hitting 51.7 percent of their shots in the final tournament game.
Washington State is coming off a 58-52 Pac-12 Semifinals loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. Now, they hope to bounce back from that disappointment and do some damage in the country's most famous tournament. The Cougars will rely on some key players, such as Isaac Jones, Jaylen Wells, Myles Rice, and Andrej Jakimovski, to push them through to the next round. Overall, they need to fix their shooting woes. The Cougars hit just 42.3 percent of their shots, including 21.1 percent from beyond the arc. Also, they must avoid turning the ball over. They turned it over 18 times.
It will be the seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Drake and its third in four years. Overall, the Bulldogs are 6-6 in tournament play. Drake has not made it past the second round since 1969. Meanwhile, Washington State is also making its seventh appearance in the tournament. But it will be the first since 2008. Like Drake, Washington State is a combined 6-6 in the tournament and have never made it past the Sweet 16.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Drake-Washington State Odds
Drake: -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -118
Washington State: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -102
Over: 138.5 (-105)
Under: 138.5 (-115)
How to Watch March Madness
Time: 10:05 PM ET/7:05 PM PT
TV: truTV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Drake Will Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
DeVries was the Bulldogs' best player all season, averaging 21.8 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor. Ultimately, he would like to match his performance against Indiana State, when he scored 27 points while shooting 11 for 19, including a scorching 4 for 5 from the triples. Wright also had a good season, averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. Likewise, he had 17 points in the last game while shooting 7 for 13.
Kelly Overton is another player who should be ready to help the Bulldogs. Significantly, he averaged 11.4 points per game throughout the season. But he struggled in his last game, scoring five points while shooting 1 for 4. More concerningly, he has struggled to shoot recently, going 3 for 12 and 4 for 18 in the two games before. In other words, Overton has to take better shots. Brodie is another player who can impact this game. Throughout the season, he averaged 11.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 63.3 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs hope he can be a force down low.
Drake will cover the spread if DeVries can get hot and shoot the ball well while also getting good support from Wright, Overton, and Brodie. Likewise, they need to do better on the boards and keep forcing turnovers.
Why Washington State Will Cover The Spread/Win
For the Cougars, it's all about Jones and Rice. During the regular season, Jones averaged 15.4 points per game while shooting 58 percent from the hardwood. Moreover, Jones scored 13 points while shooting 6 for 9. It's safe to say he should take more shots. Meanwhile, Rice averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent. Rice had 11 points while shooting 4 for 13 against Colorado.
Wells was solid during the regular season, averaging 12.2 points per game while shooting 43.1 percent from the field. Yet, against Colorado, he scored 11 points while shooting 4 for 10 from the hardwood. The real concern is Jakimovski. Unfortunately, he scored just four points while shooting 1 for 7 from the floor against Colorado.
But the Cougars as a team could play better. Yes, they won the board battle against Colorado. But they also turned the ball over 18 times. You cannot do that and hope to win anything.
Washington State will cover the spread if Jones and Rice shoot the ball well. Then, they need to be more careful with the basketball.
Final Drake-Washington State Prediction & Pick
Drake is 18-15 against the spread this season. Conversely, Washington State is 17-16 against the spread. This matchup is as close as it can get. While the Bulldogs have played better lately, the Cougars have the better team based on their overall play. The fact that Drake has the 1.5-point advantage on the line is encouraging if you want to bet on the Cougars. This game could go down to the wire, with the last shot giving us a winner. Subsequently, Rice could be the one to cook in the end to help give Washington State the victory.
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Final Drake-Washington State Prediction & Pick: Washington State: +1.5 (-115)
