Drake vs. Washington State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for NCAA Tournament First Round (Trust the Bulldogs?)
By Reed Wallach
Washington State and Drake close out Thursday's Round of 64 action in the No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed matchup in the East Region.
The Bulldogs, winner of the Missouri Valley Conference, will look to break through in the NCAA Tournament after last year's narrow defeat to eventual Final Four entrant Miami. Drake will face Washington State, who had a fantastic season under head coach Kyle Smith, finishing second in the PAC-12.
Can the Cougars lean on its elite defense to outclass the mid-major Drake, or will the Bulldogs avenge last year's loss with an NCAA Tournament win?
Here's our betting preview for this one with the lower seeded Bulldogs being very slight favorites over the Cougars:
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Drake vs. Washington State Odds, Spread and Total
Washington State vs. Drake Betting Trends
- Drake is 18-15 against the spread (ATS) this season
- Washington State is 6-3-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- Washington State has gone UNDER in seven of 10 games as an underdog
Drake vs. Washington State How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 21st
- Game Time: 10:05 PM EST
- Venue: CHI Health Center Omaha
- How to Watch (TV): truTV
- Drake Record: 28-6
- Washington State Record: 24-9
Drake vs. Washington State Key Players to Watch
Drake
Tucker DeVries: DeVries is one of the most prolific scorers in the country, sixth in points per game (21.8). A three-level scorer who is shooting north of 36% from beyond the arc, the junior forward will look to get the Bulldogs over the hump against Washington State, who has plenty of length to challenge him. In last year's first-round loss, DeVries made only one of his 13 shots.
Washington State
Myles Rice: The freshman guard has been sensational this season, a dept at getting into the paint and creating for the rangy wings that the Cougars have at its disposal. Rice averaged north of 15 points per game with nearly four assists.
Drake vs. Washington State Prediction and Pick
It's a coin-flip matchup, but I lean towards the Bulldogs, who have some matchup edges across the board that the Cougars lack.
Both teams prefer to play in the half-court, and that play style would favor the Bulldogs quite a bit, who are 47th in points per possession in the half-court. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' defense is 35th in points allowed per possession against a Wazzu offense that is right at the national average in terms of PPP in half-court on offense while 34th on defense, per ShotQuality.
If this game is played at a slower pace, I trust Drake to come through more often. It's not only in the half-court, but it's the mid-range (31st) and post-ups (33rd) where the team can cook against Washington State's defense that is 169th in midrange points allowed per possession and 256th in the post.
On the other side, Washington State would rather force its way into the paint, but Drake shuts that down with a compact defense that typically holds teams to midrange jumpers and three-point shots, which is exactly what Wazzu doesn't want to do, outside the top 300 in three-point rate.
This game is tight, but I find myself finding more avenues to success with Drake, who has the best player on the floor in DeVries, who can get inside and score where Washington State struggles on defense.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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