Drake Bulldogs vs Missouri State Bears Prediction, 1/1/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Drake Bulldogs vs Missouri State Bears

Date: Sunday, January 1, 2023

Location: Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield, MO

TV: Youtube TV

Great Southern Bank Arena is the site where the Missouri State Bears (6-7) will take on the Drake Bulldogs (11-3) on Sunday.

The Drake Bulldogs stepped onto the hardwood against Valparaiso and walked away with a win by a score of 68-63 in their last game. Drake walked away from the game having earned a 42.9% FG percentage (24 of 56) and made 3 out of their 14 shots from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, the Bulldogs made 17 of their 22 attempts for a rate of 77.3%. In relation to rebounding, they earned 37 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. They also distributed 10 assists in the game as well as creating 7 turnovers and having 4 steals. When talking about the defense, Drake allowed 39.0% from the field on 23 out of 59 shooting. Valparaiso doled out 10 assists and had 6 steals for this game. Furthermore, Valparaiso collected 30 boards (7 offensive, 23 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Valparaiso shot 75.0% at the free throw line by making 12 of their 16 shots. They also made 5 of their 20 attempts from distance. In reference to fouls, the Bulldogs finished with 15 while Valparaiso accumulated 21 fouls.

Darnell Brodie is a guy who was a major contributor for the contest. He ended up going 80.0% from the floor and also recorded 1 assist. He was on the court for 34 minutes played and also collected 9 rebounds. He accumulated 19 points on 8 out of 10 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Basketball Best Bets Picks

Drake steps onto the court with a mark of 11-3 so far this season. They are averaging 75.2 points per game (131st in D-1) while going 46.4% from the field. The Bulldogs are shooting 33.9% on shots from beyond the arc (107 of 316) and 77.1% from the free throw line. As a unit, Drake is snagging 35.6 boards per game and has accumulated 187 dimes so far this year, which ranks 155th in college basketball in terms of passing. They are giving up possession 11.1 times per contest and as a basketball team they are committing 15.9 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Bulldogs are forcing 13.5 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 17.9 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 44th in college hoops in allowing assists to the opposition with 134 surrendered for the campaign. The Bulldogs defensively are allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 40.2% (326 of 811) and they concede 34.1 rebounds per contest as a basketball team. They give up 29.0% from beyond the arc and they rank 85th in D-1 in points per game allowed (64.9).

When they last played, the Missouri State Bears walked away with a victory by a final of 79-67 when they played UNI. In reference to attacking the glass, Missouri State permitted UNI to collect 26 in total (8 on the offensive side). They shot 28.6% from 3-point land by going 6 of 21 and finished the contest at 9 of 14 at the free throw line (64.3%). The Bears allowed UNI to bury 26 of their 55 attempts from the field which left them shooting 47.3% for this game. When all was said and done, the Bears finished 29 out of 53 from the floor which had them sitting at 54.7%. With regard to 3-point shots, Missouri State buried 11 of their 24 tries (45.8%). They were able to make 10 of the free throws for a percentage of 71.4%. UNI was called for 13 fouls in this matchup which took the Bears to the charity stripe for a total of 14 attempts. They also turned the ball over 10 times, while recording 9 steals in the game. The Bears were able to pull down 22 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive rebounds totaling 28 in this matchup.

Dalen Ridgnal was important for the Bears for this game. He knocked down 8 out of 13 for the matchup for a field goal rate of 61.5%, and accumulated 11 rebounds. He accumulated 24 points in his 34 minutes on the hardwood and accounted for 1 assist in this game.

Missouri State has a mark of 6-7 for the season. The Bears are responsible for committing 15.8 personal fouls per contest and they hit 59.7% from the charity stripe. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 12.1 times per contest (286th in college hoops) and they are giving up possession 12.0 times per contest. Missouri State has accounted for 863 pts on the year (66.4 per contest) and they grab 34.4 boards per contest. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bears are shooting 44.4% from the field, which is 195th in college basketball.

The Bears defensively are ranked 43rd in Division 1 in PPG surrendered with 62.2. They are forcing 13.0 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 42.4% from the field (167th in college basketball). The Missouri State defense allows 31.8% on 3-point attempts (83 of 261) and opponents are making 67.2% of their shots from the charity stripe. They surrender 10.6 dimes and 32.2 boards per game, ranking them 54th and 79th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Missouri State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here