The Miami (FL) Hurricanes take on the Drake Bulldogs in Charleston, SC as part of the Charleston Classic. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Hurricanes are favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -485. The total is set at 141 points.
Here’s my Miami vs. Drake predictions and college basketball picks for November 21, 2024.
Miami vs Drake Prediction
My Pick: Miami -9.5 (Play to -12)
My Miami (FL) vs Drake best bet is on the Hurricanes spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Miami vs Drake Odds, Spread, Pick
| Miami (FL) Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 141 -110 / -110 | -500 |
| Drake Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 141 -110 / -110 | +375 |
- Miami vs Drake spread: Miami -9.5
- Miami vs Drake over/under: 141 points
- Miami vs Drake moneyline: Miami -500, Drake +375
- Miami vs Drake best bet: Miami -9.5
My Miami vs Drake NCAAB Betting Preview
Miami Basketball
The Hurricanes are the most slept-on team in a fairly underwhelming ACC. You have Duke and North Carolina, but then what? A bunch of underperforming teams, and then Pittsburgh and Miami.
Miami is doing what it had to do so far: blow out a trio of sub-320 teams in KenPom. People may question the Canes' legitimacy — since they faced the second-easiest non-conference schedule so far — but the games were total blowouts.
Comparing this year's Canes squad to last year's, the biggest difference is length. Miami starts three players 6-foot-7 or taller — Matthew Cleveland and transfers Brandon Johnson and Lynn Kidd on the interior.
Playing Cleveland in his more natural wing position is a major plus when Miami faces larger teams, and it will help with winning the rebounding battle.
It's tough to gauge Miami's production so far since none of the starters have finished out a game. Guards Jalen Blackmon and Nijel Pack could form a really strong perimeter tandem. Blackmon is more a scorer than a playmaker, averaging 14 points after putting up over 20 per night at Stetson last year.
On the other hand, Pack has greatly improved at finding his teammates, posting 6.7 dimes through three games.
Since Drake doesn't have overwhelming length, I wonder if five-star Jalil Bethea's scoring factors in more than it has. The 6-foot-5 freshman has NBA buzz, but he hasn't played more than 16 minutes in a game. Regardless, he's averaging nine points on 41% from 3, and he's the best prospect on the Canes' roster.
Drake Basketball
Drake may have a new coach, but the winning culture remains the same — even for a squad featuring 12 new faces.
You can credit legendary D-II head coach Ben McCollum for finding a way to instantly keep the Bulldogs in Missouri Valley contention.
The key to McCollum's success at the D-II level was defense, controlling the pace and shooting.
The Bulldogs have a pair of wins over D-I foes — Stephen F. Austin and Florida Gulf Coast. Drake held SFA to 51 points and FGCU to 61, and both scored below 1.00 PPP and turned it over 15+ times.
So far, Drake has forced opponents into taking difficult 2-point shots late in the shot clock, which feeds directly into the slower pace it wants.
I'm more concerned about Drake's offense since the scoring is limited to 3-point shooting and points off turnovers. The Bulldogs attempt 3s on 48% of their shots and shoot 37% on those attempts. If that continues, Drake will be in great shape if it continues to lock down opposing offenses.
Each of Drake's three top scorers — Bennett Stirtz, Mitch Mascari and Daniel Abreu — came with McCollum from Northwest Missouri State.
Stirtz is talented enough to be a Missouri Valley Player of the Year candidate, averaging 18.7 points and 5.0 assists in three games while shooting 44% from 3. Mascari is the X-factor, as he scored 26 points in the win over SFA on 8-of-13 from 3. Meanwhile, he scored just six total points in the other two games.
To beat a team like Miami, it takes a village of scorers.
Miami vs Drake Betting Analysis
Sure, I believe in Drake competing in the Valley, but competing with a team like Miami at a neutral site is a big ask.
The Canes' offensive potential — paired with a vastly improved defense — leads to an incredibly high ceiling.
Currently, Miami ranks 46th in KenPom, and I think it has the potential to be a top-20 team eventually.
Plus, Miami has a bunch of ball handlers and sports a 12% turnover rate.
I'm not sure Drake's defense can contain this potent offense if it can't force turnovers.
