The Drake Bulldogs will try to pay off for their supporters on Thursday when they play host to the Braves at Scottrade Center in NCAAB action.

It's a game in the Missouri Valley Tournament, which will decide the conference title, not to mention deciding which teams make the Field of 68. This game is being played at a neutral-site court (Scottrade Center).

The Bulldogs are 16-14 so far on the season, and 12-16 ATS vs. the number. The Braves, meanwhile, are 7-24 and 14-15 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Drake go 11-17 and the Braves go 13-16 on the totals.



View Bradley vs Drake Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 7.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bulldogs sit at No. 193 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Braves sit at No. 324 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Bulldogs will win this game 67-57.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Braves is ranked No. 253 in NCAA hoops at 32.9 per game. Contrast that with Drake’s No. 275 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Drake is the No. 152-ranked team in the country at 6.4 per game, while Bradley rates No. 306 at 4.7 per game.

Defensively, Bradley features the nation's No. 277-rated defense on the road, allowing 74.2 points per game. Drake, meanwhile, comes in at No. 117 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Bradley was a 54-53 loser at home against Illinois State. They covered the 7.5-point spread as underdogs. The Braves got 21 points from Walt Lemon, but it was Illinois State that prevailed in a 54-53 final on Saturday at Carver Arena.

Drake lost its last outing, an 81-58 result against Wichita State on February 25. They failed to cover in that game as a 16-point underdog. Drake was run off the court by the Shockers on Saturday as Wichita State routed them 81-58 at Charles Koch Arena.


Bradley Braves Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Illinois State are 5-5
After a loss are 1-9

Drake Bulldogs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
After playing Wichita State are 5-5
After a loss are 5-5

A few Braves at Bulldogs trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Drake's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Drake's last 7 games when playing Bradley