At the start of the season, there was some uncertainty about both of these programs and what transpired over the past few months few could have predicted. Missouri was coming off a disaster of a season - failing to win a single conference game last season. But the Tigers surprised everyone this season, winning 10 SEC games on the way to 22 total wins, as well as upsetting rival Kansas in non-con play. Missouri, after failing to reach the NCAA Tournament last year, is looking to build on the postseason run from head coach Dennis Gates’ first season in Columbia, when the Tigers bowed out of the tournament in the second round.
Drake had hired a new coach from the Division II ranks after Darian DeVries left for West Virginia. To take over, the Bulldogs hired Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State. In the preseason, Drake was picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference, but as it would turn out, McCollum wouldn’t need time to work out the kinks of being a first-year Division I coach. Drake finished first in the MVC with a 17-3 record and earned the auto bid by winning the conference tournament.
It’s been nearly 40 years since the last time that these two programs met, many years before any player on either roster was even born. In those years Missouri has made the NCAA Tournament 20 times while Drake has only made four. With both teams already exceeding preseason expectations, a win will most likely be gravy on top of an already great season, but that doesn’t mean that these two teams don’t want to make the most of their postseasons. Can Missouri build on a strong season, helping further the SEC’s dominance? Or will Drake prove that it is ready to compete on a national level?
How to watch Missouri vs Drake
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 7:35 ET
Venue: INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas
How to Watch (TV): truTV
Steaming: fubo TV
Missouri record: 22-11
Drake record: 30-3
Missouri vs Drake odds, spread, and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Money line:
- Missouri -275
- Drake +245
Spread:
- Missouri -6.5 (-110)
- Drake +6.5 (-110)
Total:
- 133.5 (Over -105/Under -115)
Missouri injury report
- N/A
Drake injury report
- N/A
Missouri and Drake series history
- Missouri all-time record vs Drake 27-7
Missouri vs Drake prediction
Missouri’s offense is one of the best in the country, averaging 84.5 points per game. Mark Mitchell (14.1 ppg), Caleb Grill (13.7 ppg), and Tamar Bates (13.4 ppg) lead a balanced Missouri team that doesn’t rely on a single player to get the offense going. In fact, this season eight different Tigers have led the team in scoring. What makes Missouri’s offense so hard to stop is its ability to score both inside and out. The Tigers are one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country, making 37 percent from deep. Caleb Grill leads the team from behind the arc, making close to three per game at a 40.5 percent clip. Missouri is also incredibly efficient inside the arc, making nearly 57 percent. Mark Mitchell leads the Tigers in this area, averaging 8.3 points in the paint.
But, the biggest offensive advantage Missouri has is at the free throw line. While the Tigers aren’t the best free throw shooting team, they get there 27 times per game, which ranks third in the country. The one concern for this team is its defense. For most of the season, Missouri has been a solid defense, but over the past eight games, the Tigers are giving up 89 points per game. But with how slow Drake plays, allowing that many points shouldn't be a huge issue.
One of the hallmarks of this Drake team is its slow, methodical pace. The Bulldogs don’t rush anything on either end of the court. Drake is more than comfortable running its offense until it gets its preferred shot. And if the Bulldogs do miss, they do a great job on the offensive glass. Nearly a third of their rebounds come on the offensive end. Drake is also a good three-point shooting team, making nearly seven per game at 35.5 percent.
Unlike Missouri, Drake’s offense runs through one player. Bennett Stirtz leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game. He’s scored in double figures in all but two games this season, only Bradley has been able to slow him down. Drake’s biggest strength is its defense. The Bulldogs are holding opponents to 58.4 points per game, the lowest in the country - only six teams have managed to exceed 70 points against them. Most of this is due to the slow pace Drake forces, but the Bulldogs also play solid team defense. They force nearly 14 turnovers per game and only allow 25 rebounds per game.
This should be one of the more interesting matchups of the first round. Missouri’s offense has been hard to stop, but it's almost a given that Drake will slow down the pace, so it won’t be a surprise if Missouri doesn’t put up huge offensive numbers. But, on the other hand, Drake hasn’t faced an offense like Missouri’s. The Tigers also hold a size and talent advantage over the Bulldogs, which should propel Missouri to the win.