Drake Bulldogs vs Washington State Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/21/2024

Game Time: 10:05 pm ET, Thursday, March 21, 2024

Venue:  CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE

Where to Watch:  TruTV, MAX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Drake -1, WSU +1; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Drake -1, WSU +1; Over/Under:  137.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Drake -1.5, WSU +1.5; Over/Under:  137.5 points

Drake Bulldogs:  28-6 (16-4) (2nd place, MVC)

Washington State Cougars:  24-9 (14-6) (2nd place, Pac-12)

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Drake Bulldogs:  5-0  last 5

Washington State Cougars:  3-2  last 5

Drake is entering this game with a 28-6 record overall, a 16-4 record in conference games, and they are 6-1 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Indiana State Sycamores in their last game. Tucker DeVries led the team in points per game in that game with 27 while Darnell Brodie and Atin Wright each were next on the team with 17. Tucker DeVries led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Darnell Brodie led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 51.7% from the field, 61.1% from 3-point range, and 84.6% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 80.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.5 PPG against them. Drake has an ATS record of 18-15 this season and their O/U record is 17-16.

Washington State is entering this game with a 24-9 record overall, a 14-6 conference record, and they are 3-3 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Colorado Buffaloes in their last game. Isaac Jones led the team in points in that game with 13 while Jaylen Wells was next on the team with 11. Jaylen Wells led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Rueben Chinyelu led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 42.3% from the field, 21.1% from 3-point range, and 57.1% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 66.9 PPG against them. Washington State has an ATS record of 17-16 this season and their O/U record is 14-18-1.

The current betting odds have Drake listed as a 1 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Drake has looked really good in their games this season with their 28-6 record overall and their 16-4 conference record in the MVC which had them right near the top of the conference. They have looked great in their neutral site games with their 6-1 record in those and they have also been really hot lately as they went on a run in their conference tournament to beat Indiana State and secure the bid for themselves. Meanwhile, Washington State has looked good in their games this season with their 24-9 record overall and their 14-6 conference record in the Pac-12 which had them right near the top of the conference. They haven't looked as good in their neutral site games with their 3-3 record in those and it really showed in the conference tournament as they were kicked out before the finals. Drake has been the much hotter team coming into this one with their 5-0 record in their last 5 games while Washington State is only 3-2 and Drake also has the experience of being in the NCAA Tournament last year. The best way to place a bet here is on Drake to cover the spread in this game.

Drake Washington State Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, March 21, 2024 (10:05 pm ET start time) is Drake 69 Washington State 65.

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Drake Bulldogs: 14-5 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 3 points or less or pick. 6-0 ATS after a win by 6 points or less. 34-21 ATS after 5 or more consecutive wins. 13-5 UNDER in a neutral court game where the total is 135 to 139.5. 26-14 UNDER after successfully covering the spread in 4 or more consecutive games. 26-18 UNDER after 5 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers.

Washington State Cougars: 6-12 ATS in all neutral court games. 5-11 ATS after scoring 60 points or less. 2-8 ATS in a neutral court game where the total is 130 to 139.5. 12-6 UNDER in all neutral court games. 33-17 UNDER after a game where they failed to cover the spread. 23-15 UNDER after 5 straight games forcing the opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers.

Drake Bulldogs:  None.

Washington State Cougars:  None.

“Excited about the 10-seed, excited to be in Omaha. It should be a place that our fans can get to easily, and we’re excited about the fan support that’s going to be there.” - Darian DeVries on his team playing Wazzu in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

“It's kind of weird, you play a postseason tournament and then you've got another tournament. It hurts too much to try to go there (emotionally). We had some long faces. It was pretty emotional for guys who really wanted it.” - Kyle Smith after his team’s loss against Colorado in their last game of the Pac-12 Tournament on Friday.

D. Brodie 

T. DeVries 

C. Enright 

K. Overton 

A. Wright

O. Cluff 

A. Jakimovski 

I. Jones 

M. Rice 

J. Wells

PPG: T. DeVries (21.9)

APG: T. DeVries (3.5)

Reb/G: D. Brodie (8.1)

PPG: I. Jones (15.4)

APG: M. Rice (3.9)

Reb/G: I. Jones (7.6)

Coaches:

Drake Bulldogs: Darian DeVries (6th season)

Washington State Cougars: Kyle Smith (5th season)