Drake vs Indiana State Basketball Prediction & Best Bets: Arch Madness Concludes with #1 vs #2 Matchup in St. Louis

Will the Missouri Valley Conference receive two March Madness bids? We will find out in a week when the field of 68 is announced, but the automatic bid will be locked up this afternoon when #2 Drake and #1 Indiana State meet for the tournament title at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Read on for a prediction and best bets for the matchup.

Drake vs Indiana State Game Information

• Matchup: #2 Drake Bulldogs (27-6 SU, 17-15 ATS, 16-15-1 O/U) vs #1 Indiana State Sycamores (28-5 SU, 19-13 ATS, 18-14 O/U)
• Date: Sunday, March 10, 2024
• Time: 2:00 pm ET (1:00 pm local time)
• Broadcast: CBS

As it stands, the Sycamores, who haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2011, appear to have a decent case for an at-large spot. They have 28 wins, a NET of 26, won the Missouri Valley regular season title, and reached the conference tournament championship game with convincing wins over Missouri State and Northern Iowa.

A win over Drake would keep Indiana State from having to endure a nervous wait, but it might also deny the conference multiple bids.

The Bulldogs, who defeated Bradley to win the conference crown last season, have 27 wins, a NET of 47 entering today, and defeated NCAA Tournament-bound Nevada by 19 in non-conference play. After finishing a game behind the Sycamores in the conference standings, they reached today’s championship contest by thumping Evansville and edging a good Bradley squad by five.

However, their at-large hopes appear to have less traction than Indiana State’s, and the automatic bid may be the only way the Bulldogs make the Big Dance for the second straight year.

Drake vs Indiana State Odds

Odds are via BetOnline, a longtime fixture in the sports betting industry. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then grab yourself a nice sign-up bonus to bet on today’s NCAA basketball action.

Spread

• Drake +3 (-110)
• Indiana State -3 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 149.5 (-110)
• Under 149.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Drake +135
• Indiana State -155

Looking for more men’s college hoops picks for tonight’s schedule? Our NCAA basketball picks page features moneyline, spread, and total (over/under) picks for all of today’s top games.

Drake vs Indiana State Prediction and Best Bets

Drake vs Indiana State Betting Analysis and Prediction

The Sycamores might have a wider margin for error were it not for picking the week they returned to the AP poll for the first time since 1979 to have their worst week of the season. First, they lost at home to Illinois State, who finished 15-17, by 13. Then they went down at Southern Illinois, who finished sixth in the conference.

Other than that blip, Indiana State has been excellent. Their only other losses are at Alabama, at Michigan State, and at Drake.

From a betting perspective, they have failed to cover in two or more games in a row only twice, and they are 13-9 ATS against conference foes this season, including a 6-2 mark when favored by eight or fewer points.

This is a pretty unfamiliar spot for Drake to be in, as they have been an underdog only three other times this season. Their wins over Nevada and at Bradley were both as a four-point underdog, while they fell at Indiana State by eight as a 5.5-point underdog on February 3.

What is the likely outcome for the Bulldogs’ fourth straight Missouri Valley tournament title game appearance?

The #1 seed has not won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament since 2021, when Loyola Chicago did with a win over #2 Drake. And in the past two years, the lower seed won. In 2022, #4 seed Loyola defeated Drake, and last year, #2 seed Drake defeated #1 seed Bradley.

But will the Bulldogs repeat last year’s feat? This is a tough one to pick, to be honest. I give the Sycamores the edge, but I don’t recommend stressing yourself over a side unless you just absolutely want to do that to yourself.

Drake vs Indiana State Best Bets

Drake/Indiana State first half over 70.5 & Drake/Indiana State over 149.5

Since the inception of the Missouri Valley tournament in 1977, 150 or more points have been scored in only 12 championship games. The most recent occurrence was in 2014, when Wichita State knocked off Indiana State 83-69.

So, history doesn’t favor a higher-scoring game here. But both teams rank in the top 40 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency (Indiana State 23^rd and Drake 39^th), scoring (Indiana State 8^th at 84.5 PPG and Drake 40^th at 80.4 PPG), and field-goal percentage (Indiana State 3^rd at 50.5% and Drake 34^th at 47.8%).

Other NCAA Basketball Betting Information

Where Can You Bet on NCAA Basketball?

Throughout the college basketball season, you can find NCAA basketball odds at the top online sports betting sites. That includes prominent names like BetDSI, BetOnline, BetUS, and Bovada.

Along with game odds, many sportsbooks offer men’s and women’s March Madness futures odds, Final Four odds, Wooden Award odds, and more.

If you are unfamiliar with any of these sites, check out our sportsbook reviews to learn more about them. Our reviews analyze available betting options, deposit and payout options, mobile and live betting, and the sportsbook sign-up bonuses and other promos offered.

• BetDSI Sportsbook Review
• BetOnline Sportsbook Review
• BetUS Sportsbook Review
• Bovada Sportsbook Review
• MyBookie Sportsbook Review

Interested in Learning More About Betting on NCAA Basketball?

If you are interested in learning more about betting on NCAA basketball, check out our college basketball betting guide. It covers the basics of wagering on the action from the Mountain West to the MAAC and beyond.

• College Basketball Betting Guide: How to Bet on NCAA Basketball in 2024

Also, check out our March Madness guide, and learn valuable March Madness betting tips, where you can find the best March Madness bracket challenges, who the Final Four favorites are, and much more.

• March Madness Guide

Also, follow Betting News on X/Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok to get more daily NCAA basketball betting insight from myself and the rest of our team.

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Will both Drake and Indiana State be in the field for the $200,000 Bracket Madness contest at BetOnline? Selection Sunday and the start of the contest aren’t until Sunday, March 17, but the contest is now open for entry fees. In the meantime, you can take advantage of their 100% cryptocurrency welcome bonus and build your bankroll for March Madness.