Drake Bulldogs vs Missouri State Bears Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/02/2022

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Sunday, January 2, 2022

Venue:  JQH Arena, Springfield, MO 

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Drake +4.5, Missouri State -4.5; Over/Under:  139 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Drake +4.5, Missouri State -4.5; Over/Under:  139 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Drake +4.5, Missouri State -4.5; Over/Under:  139.5 points

 

Drake Bulldogs:  10-4 (2nd place, MVC)

Missouri State Bears:  9-5 (6th place, MVC)

 

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Drake Bulldogs:  4-1 last 5

Missouri State Bears:  4-1 last 5

 

 

 

Drake is coming into this game with a 10-4 record overall and they are 1-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 2nd conference matchup of the year and they are currently 1-0 in their conference games this season. Their last loss was against the Clemson Tigers but they have gone on a 4 game winning streak since then with wins coming against the Jackson State Tigers, the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, the Chicago State Cougars, and the Mount Marty Lancers in their last game. DJ Wilkins led the team in points in that game with 16 while Tucker DeVries was next on the team with 11 points. DeVries and Ayo Akinwole off the bench both led the team in assists in that game with 3 while Tremell Murphy led the team in rebounds with 7. They are 46.4% from the field, 38.8% from 3-point range, and 72.2% from the free throw line with their shooting this season. Their offense is averaging 76.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 64.6 PPG against them. Drake has an ATS record of 3-9 this season and their O/U record is 6-5-1.

 

 

Missouri State is coming into this game with a 9-5 record overall and they are 5-2 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 2nd conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 0-1 in their conference games this season. They have won 5 of their last 6 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the Saint Mary's Gaels while their 5 wins in that span came against the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans, the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, the Central Arkansas Bears, and the Evangel Crusaders in their last game. Jaylen Minnett and Isiaih Mosley off the bench both led the team in points in that game with 22 while Isaac Humphries was next on the team with 18 points. Demarcus Sharp led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Donovan Clay led the team in rebounds with 15. They are 48.8% from the field, 40.1% from 3-point range, and 79.4% from the free throw line with their shots this season. Their offense is averaging 80.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 67.4 PPG against them. Missouri State has an ATS record of 7-6 this season and their O/U record is 7-6.

 

Drake is coming into this game as a 4.5 point underdog with the current betting odds according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Both of these teams have been playing well this season but Drake has been better in their conference games so far. Drake has also won their only road game of the season and they have been playing good defense as well. They are already 1-0 in their conference games and they are going to be looking to extend that here. The best bet to place in this game is on Drake to cover the spread here as they have been playing well and should keep this game close.

 

Drake Missouri State Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Sunday, January 2, 2022 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Missouri State 68 Drake 66.

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Drake Bulldogs: Will be posted soon.

Missouri State Bears: Will be posted soon.

 

 

Drake Bulldogs:  S. Hemphill (F) Ques Sun - Undisclosed injury. R. Penn (G) Out indefinitely - Foot injury.

Missouri State Bears:  D. Sharp (G) Out indefinitely - Leg injury.

 

 

“Confidence is a huge thing. Seeing the ball go through the net matters in basketball. Our team has a done a really good job of not playing the opponent, but being the best version of us that we can be.” - Darian DeVries on his team’s win against Mount Marty.

 

 

“That to me felt like a Valley game. I think our last two have felt like Valley games. The last four minutes you have to get stops, you have to take care of the ball and execute. I thought we did a good job, a better job, down the stretch today even than what we did yesterday. I think that is going to continue to improve because we are emphasizing it so much.” - Dana Ford on his team’s win against South Dakota State.

 

 

 

D. Brodie 

S. Hemphill 

T. Murphy 

R. Penn 

 D. Wilkins

 

J. Black 

D. Clay 

I. Mosley 

L. Patterson 

G. Prim

 

 

PPG: T. DeVries (13.5)

APG: R. Penn (4)

Reb/G: G. Sturtz (6.7)

 

PPG: I. Mosley (18.1)

APG: D. Sharp (5)

Reb/G: G. Prim (8.4)

 

Coaches:

Drake Bulldogs: Darian DeVries (4th season)

Missouri State Bears: Dana Ford (4th season)