The Indiana State Sycamores (13-8, 6-4 MVC) and Drake Bulldogs (15-6, 6-4) tangle Tuesday in a Missouri Valley Conference affair in Des Moines. The contest at The Knapp Center will tip off at 9 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Indiana State vs. Drake odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Indiana State is winless straight up and against the spread over its last 4 games. The skid comes on the heels of a 4-game win streak from Dec. 29-Jan. 7, and earlier this season, ISU had two other streaks of 4 or more wins. The Sycamores are a below-average 3-point shooting team but lately have been undone by outlier poor numbers from distance, shooting below 28% from distance in 4 of their last 5 games.
Drake is known more for its solid defense, but the Bulldogs tallied 97 points in an easy win and cover as 14.5-point favorites at Evansville Saturday (97-61). DU is 4-1 over its last 5 games with its only loss during that stretch coming in overtime to Missouri State Wednesday.
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Indiana State at Drake odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Indiana State +210 (bet $100 to win $210) | Drake -280 (bet $280 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Indiana State +6.5 (-115) | Drake -6.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 146.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Indiana State at Drake picks and predictions
Prediction
Drake 77, Indiana State 68
Moneyline
Lots of juice clouds the opportunity for profit here. Drake would be a play at even -250, but paying the current freight here offers no value.
STEER CLEAR.
Against the spread
Indiana State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games vs. winning teams. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 series meetings.
ISU defeated Drake 75-73 as a 3-point underdog Nov. 30, snapping a 10-game Drake ATS streak in this series. The Bulldogs are a solid perimeter-defense team, but they were undone by Indiana State going 11 of 31 from distance. Even then, DU led that contest by 5 points with under 4 minutes remaining.
The Sycamores have shot just 28.3% from 3-point land over their last 12 games. That component of this matchup looms large.
Even with ISU’s recent distance shooting woes, it’s still a solid regression candidate when it comes to shooting the basketball. In a revenge game on Drake’s home hardwood — against a Bulldogs squad with an advantage in turnover and free-throw avoidance and on the boards — a double-digit DU victory would not be a surprise.
BACK THE BULLDOGS -6.5 (-105).
Over/Under
A clash of pace here, with fast Indiana State visiting the slow-ish Bulldogs. A number in the mid-140s is tough to shade for value. PASS.
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