March Madness Round 1: Drake vs Washington Analysis & Result
Drake vs Washington State Betting: No. 10 Bulldogs -1.5 Favorites
Drake vs Washington State Final Score
Drake vs Washington State Preview
The first full day of the NCAA Tournament will conclude Thursday (10:05 p.m. ET) when seventh-seeded Washington State faces 10th-seeded Drake, the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champions, in East Regional play.
Drake is a 1.5-point favorite and -125 on the moneyline, with Washington State priced +105 outright. Meanwhile, oddsmakers have pegged the Over/Under at 138, with a slight edge to the Under at -112 odds.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down the college basketball odds in our Drake vs Washington State betting preview.
Washington State vs Drake Bulldogs 
Day/Time:
Location: CHI Omaha Health Center; Omaha
Streaming: truTV
Betting Trends
The Drake Bulldogs have covered four straight games and are 18-15 ATS. As for the Over/Under, the Bulldogs are 17-15-1. Meanwhile, the Washington State Cougars are 17-16 ATS, but just 2-4 over their last six games. The Cougars’ record against the Over/Under is 14-18-1.
Be sure to remember that when assessing the Drake vs Washington State betting odds.
Back, Back Again for Drake
Drake returns to the Big Dance for the second straight season and third time in four years after defending its Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title. The Bulldogs (28-6, 16-4) beat Indiana State 84-80 in the final to capitalize on +210 tournament odds.
The Bulldogs have a clear go-to player in guard Tucker DeVries, who is averaging 21.8 points on 44.8% shooting to go with 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals. DeVries is the coach’s son and the reigning MVC Larry Bird Trophy winner, given to the league’s best NCAAB player. He had 27 points in the final, his 13th game this season with at least 25 points.
Drake has a solid resume, highlighted by strong peripheral rankings (No. 47 NET, No. 51 KenPom) and a quality non-conference win over Nevada in the Jack Jones Classic.
With DeVries and Cal State Northridge transfer Atin Wright (13.9 PPG), the Bulldogs have both the guard play and experience needed to win in March. Balance is also key, as they rank top 75 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency. It’s no wonder they are -125 moneyline favorites despite being the lower seed. Keep that in mind when making your NCAAB picks.
Three-point shooting (36.7%, 33rd) will be key.
Long Wait Over for Wazzou
Washington State fell short of winning the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, falling 58-52 to Colorado in the semifinals. The 25th-ranked Cougars (24-9, 14-6) still, however, comfortably made the March Madness bracket, snapping a 15-year NCAA Tournament drought.
The Cougars have four scorers averaging double figures, led by Idaho transfer Isaac Jones (15.4 PPG) and redshirt freshman Myles Rice (15.1 PPG). While they are balanced in that sense, a majority of the Cougars’ offense tends to come from inside the perimeter. They rank 64th in adjusted offensive efficiency despite playing at a slower pace than most schools.
Washington State climbed to 18th in the AP Top 25 this season, its first ranking since its last tournament appearance in 2008. The Cougars were actually neck and neck with Arizona atop the Pac-12 at one point. But they fizzled down the stretch. They are 3-3 OU and 2-4 ATS over their last six games, including a 12-point loss to a non-tournament team in Arizona State. That is key to remember for the Drake vs Washington State betting odds.
The Cougars’ strength is their defense, which ranks 27th in adjusted efficiency.
Handicapping the Game
Washington State is glad to know its NCAA Tournament drought is over, but the Cougars certainly didn’t get any help from the selection committee. They were handed an extremely tough draw in Drake, which should benefit from playing a mere 137 miles from its Des Moines, Iowa, campus.
The Cougars may put up a tough fight, but ultimately, the Bulldogs are the better bet because of DeVries and their homecourt advantage.
For NCAAB news, betting odds, analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
