NCAA Tournament Prediction & Preview: West Region – Drake vs. Missouri – Thursday, March 20, 2025

The 11th-seed Drake Bulldogs (30-3) will showcase their talent against the sixth-seed Missouri Tigers (22-11) on Thursday, March 20 at 7:35 PM ET at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Current college basketball betting odds at MyBookie show the Tigers favored with a point spread at -6.5 (-115).

Drake Bulldogs Betting Preview

The Bulldogs have won their previous seven games and offer a compelling resume heading into this upcoming matchup. They are coming off a 63-48 performance in the MVC Tournament Final against the Bradley Braves.

Bennett Stirtz led in scoring with 24 points and added four assists. Tavion Banks was next in line for scoring with 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the process. This matchup was tight at the half, but the Bulldogs burst the door open on that and were able to be more consistent on both ends of the floor.

Drake has been putting up 70.1 points each game and ranks 282nd for this output. On defense, they are the best team in the nation for holding opponents to 58.4 points a game. This spread will be interesting to see against one of their tougher matchups of the year.

The Bulldogs point differential and strength of schedule ranks them at 77th. Per 100 possessions on offense, their efficiency ranks 42nd while their defense ranks 14th in that same timeframe. This is solid, especially if they are able to control the pace of the game.

Missouri Tigers Betting Preview

The Tigers have lost four of the last five games and are coming off a 95-81 defeat against the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinal. They do not have strong momentum heading into the tournament, but offer an appealing resume to combat whatever the Bulldogs have in store.

A total of four players reached double figures, with Tamar Bates leading with 16 points on 38.8 percent shooting from the field. Tony Perkins was next up in points with 13 points and four rebounds. Overall, there were four players that earned double figures.

Missouri ranks ninth in the nation for getting 84.5 points a game, ranking ninth. Their defense has held opposing teams to 73.8 points per contest, ranking 236th. They must do a better job at defending, as they are on two different spectrums when it comes to offense and defense.

The Tigers are 19th overall in the country for their point differential each game and strength of schedule. They are sixth and 196th for their offensive and defensive efficiencies per 100 possessions, respectively.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie brings you the best Drake Bulldogs vs. Missouri Tigers betting odds, favoring the Tigers by 6.5 points. Current market predictions suggest the Tigers have a 73.0 percent chance of winning. The Tigers have a good chance at covering the spread.

Final Pick: Missouri Tigers -6.5 (-115)