The Bradley Braves take on the Drake Bulldogs in St. Louis, MO. Tip-off is set for 2:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Drake is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -142. The total is set at 119.5 points.
Here’s my Bradley vs. Drake predictions and college basketball picks for March 9, 2025.
Bradley Braves vs Drake Bulldogs Prediction, Picks
- Pick: Drake -2.5
My Drake vs. Bradley best bet is on the Bulldogs spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Bradley vs Drake Odds, Spread, Lines
| Bradley Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 118.5 -105o / -115u | +160 |
| Drake Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 118.5 -105o / -115u | -190 |
- Bradley vs Drake spread: Drake -4, Bradley +4
- Bradley vs Drake over/under: 118.5
- Bradley vs Drake moneyline: Bradley ML +160, Drake ML -190
Spread
I'm taking the Bulldogs on the spread.
Moneyline
Drake will win this game.
Over/Under
I'm avoiding the total.
My Pick: Drake -2.5
Bradley vs Drake Missouri Valley Championship Preview
The Missouri Valley Championship features the two teams everyone wants to see — Drake and Bradley, the class of the conference all season long.
The Bulldogs and Braves split the season series, each winning on the other’s home floor in two hotly contested and evenly-matched bouts.
Sunday’s matinee will feature two top-100 squads more than capable of pulling a first round upset in the NCAA Tournament and masquerading as a Cinderella in mid-March.
Drake has the best at-large case of any true mid-major squad in the country, and no team has ever won 29 games and been left out of the NCAA Tournament (I’m only pretty sure about this fact, please check me).
But the Bulldogs would prefer to leave no doubt and defeat the Braves in route to a Valley championship and an automatic bid.
Drake’s defense could separate it in this game. The Bulldogs are the MVC’s best defensive team and led the conference in turnover rate and defensive rebounding rate during league play. They simply finish possessions – it’s extremely difficult to beat them without simply making shots.
Offensively, Drake can beat opposing defenses in a multitude of ways. The Dogs are the Valley’s best offensive rebounding team and led the league in FTA rate during the regular season. They should get to the line early and often against the foul-happy Braves and clean up any misses with second chance looks.
And Drake’s one weakness offensively – ball handling – won’t be exploited against a Bradley squad that ranks 11th in the MVC in turnover rate.
Drake coach Ben McCollum is an offensive genius – there’s a reason he won four national championships at the Division II level. He slows the game down to a crawl and methodically breaks down the opposition over the course of 40 minutes.
It’s a disciplined attack that few teams have the wherewithal to withstand. Drake leads the country in plays finished via ball screen rollers and ranks fourth in rate of plays finished via cutters. The Bulldogs are an elite off-ball movement team and as unselfish a squad as they come.
Bennett Stirtz, the de facto point guard, is the best player in the Valley and a certifiable bucket.
Bradley’s off-ball defense has been solid but not great this season. The Braves have some athletes in Darius Hannah and Zek Montgomery, but beating Drake takes other-worldly focus and discipline – any mistake will be capitalized upon immediately.
The Braves were the preseason favorites to cut down the nets in St. Louis and move on to the Big Dance this March. Head coach Brian Wardle has notched four straight top-100 KenPom seasons, solidifying his program as the class of the conference.
Bradley’s offense involves a heavy dose of ball screens for playmakers Duke Deen and Jaquan Johnson – two dynamic lead guards who have game-breaking capability. Hannah and his frontcourt partner Ahmet Jonovic are elite rollers off ball screens, and Bradley often plays through the block and its twin towers.
Drake is susceptible in the paint, ranking 344th nationally in FG% allowed at the rim. Cam Manyawu has been excellent this season, but if Bradley can get him in foul trouble, the lane opens up to endless scoring possibilities.
Both Drake and Bradley are extremely well-coached and know the formula to beating the other. In this type of contest, it’s usually best to default to the team that makes the least mistakes – and that’s the Drake Bulldogs.
There’s a reason Drake has lost just three games all season – opponents must play a near-perfect game to beat them. Drake’s poise and basketball IQ might be unmatched in the country at any level.
Look for McCollum to capture an MVC title in his first D-I season and be the hottest name in the coaching carousel this offseason.
