It’s a contest of teams from the MVC on the hardwood as the Bradley Braves travel to the Hawkeye State to battle the Drake Bulldogs Sunday afternoon and we have you covered with our Bradley vs. Drake prediction. Bradley comes in off a 78-64 home win over Southern Illinois in their previous game Wednesday night, covering the line as eight-point favorite. Drake downed Illinois State 84-77 on the road Wednesday night, covering the line as a two-point favorite, in their previous contest. In the all-time series between the teams, the Braves own a 93-74 advantage but the Bulldogs have won the last five matchups, including a 64-57 road win in the first meeting this season January 8. Read more about this Bradley vs. Drake prediction! Need a buzzer-beater? Our College Basketball Picks are game-winners!
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Bradley Seeking Third Straight Win
Bradley downed Southern Illinois at home in their previous contest Wednesday night to pick up their second straight win after a three-game slide. The Braves improved to 20-6 overall and stand tied for second in the MVC with an 11-4 record. Against Southern Illinois, Bradley led by four early and trailed by four with 5:34 to play in the first half before reeling off a 15-0 run to go up 33-22 with 2:27 remaining before intermission. The Braves were up seven at the half and didn’t let the Salukis closer than five the rest of the way en route to the win. Bradley shot 46.6% from the field, including 14 of 27 from three-point range, and committed only seven turnovers in the contest. Duke Deen led the Braves with 25 points in the win.
The Braves are averaging 79.2 points per game on the season so far, putting them 64th in the nation in scoring offense. Bradley pulls down an average of 34.9 rebounds per contest while dishing out 15.2 assists a night on the year. The Braves are solid defensively as they give up 69.4 points a game, leaving them 107th in the nation in scoring defense. Duke Deen leads four players in double figures as he puts up 13.7 points and 3.9 assists per game this season. Zek Montgomery (12.8 points), Darius Hannah (11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds), Christian Davis (10 points, 5.3 rebounds) and Almar Atlason are solid secondary scorers. Demarion Burch, Ahmet Jonovic, Jaquan Johnson and Connor Dillon are looked at to help the offense out for coach Brian Wardle. Bradley is shooting 48.6% from the field as a team this season, which is 26th in Division I. The Braves are connecting on 10.2 three-pointers a night (21st) while shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc as a team, which is first in the country. Bradley has been above average at the charity stripe this season, connecting on 77.8% of their attempts this season, putting them 21st in the country.
Bulldogs Shooting for 12th Consecutive Win
Darrian DeVries and his son Tucker may have gone to Morgantown but the winning ways of Drake remain. The Bulldogs ran their win streak to 11 games with their win over Illinois State on the road and they improved to 23-2 overall while sitting atop the MVC with a 13-2 conference mark. Against Illinois State, Drake led by as many as eight in the first half and held that margin at intermission. The Bulldogs led by as many as 15 in the second half and didn’t let the Redbirds closer than seven as they earned the victory. Drake shot 60.4% from the field, including nine of 18 from three-point range, and overcame allowing Illinois State to shoot 57.8% in the contest. Bennett Stirtz led the Bulldogs with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the win.
The Bulldogs put up an average of 71.7 points per game this season, putting them 255th in the nation in scoring offense. Drake collects 30.4 rebounds a night while dishing out 13.7 assists per game. The Bulldogs are well above average on the defensive end, ranking 2nd in scoring defense by allowing 59.2 points per game. Bennett Stirtz leads the team with 18.9 points, four rebounds and 6.2 assists a night this season. Daniel Abreu (11 points) and Mitch Mascari (11.2 points) are each scoring in double figures this season. Nate Ferguson, Cam Manwayu, Andrew Alia, Isaiah Jackson, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard and Tavion Banks are important contributors for the Bulldogs. Drake is shooting 49.6% from the field as a team this season, putting them 8th in Division I. The Bulldogs average 6.8 three-pointers a night while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc. Drake is below average at the charity stripe this season as they convert 70.8% of their chances on the year, putting them 221st in the nation.
Best Bets for Bradley vs. Drake
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Drake has responded from their lone two losses this season by reeling off 11 straight wins. The Bulldogs have beaten Bradley five straight times, including the first meeting this season. Bradley is a very good offensive team but they have to deal with a Drake team that has been excellent at stopping opposing teams from putting points on the board. The Braves are 6-2 on the road but Drake is a stellar 12-1 at home on the year. Drake has held Bradley to 67 points or less in each of the last five meetings. The Bulldogs’ ability to clamp down and make life difficult for opposing shooters, coupled with playing at home, gives them the advantage in this contest.
Prediction: Drake Bulldogs
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As mentioned, Drake has won the last five meetings, mainly on the strength of their defense. Since the Bulldogs have won those five, the under is 4-0-1 in that stretch. Drake is 59th in defensive efficiency despite being 247th in effective field goal percentage defense (52.3%), in part due to the fact that they are 16th in forced turnover percentage (22.1%) and 33rd in offensive rebounding percentage allowed (26.2%) on the year. The Bulldogs are te slowest team in the nation in terms of tempo with 59.3 possessions a night. Bradley is 120th in defensive efficiency, 55th in effective field goal percentage defense (47.8%) and 36th in field goal percentage defense (40.5%) on the year. We saw just 121 points in the first meeting: while this one may have a few more points, you can’t expect a ton. Take the under in this contest as a result.
Prediction: Under
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Chris King , "Chris King"
Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO. If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career. Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.
