The Washington State Cougars and the Drake Bulldogs will face off in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Washington State enters March Madness as a 7-seed out of the Pac-12, while the Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, earning them a 10-seed. This projects to be one of the most competitive first-round matchups, meaning a Washington State vs Drake prediction could go either way.
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, providing trends, data, and analysis. Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
Washington State vs Drake Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2024 NCAA Tournament
No. 7 Washington State Cougars (24-9) vs. No. 10 Drake Bulldogs (28-6)
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 10:05 PM EST
Venue: CHI Health Center — Omaha, NE
Coverage: TruTV
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Washington State vs Drake March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Washington State vs Drake can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: DRKE: (-125) | WSU: (+105)
Point Spread: DRKE: -1.5 (-110) | WSU: +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over: 138 (-110) | Under: 138 (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Washington St | 42 | 113.4 (64) | 97.2 (27) | 64.8 (316) |
| Drake | 51 | 115.6 (38) | 100.9 (75) | 67.8 (150) |
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Washington State vs Drake College Basketball Trends
- Washington State is 9-2 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- Drake is 8-2 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- The UNDER is 18-14-1 in Washington State games.
- Drake is 3-7 against the spread in non-conference games.
- This is Washington State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
- This is Drake’s third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.
Washington State vs Drake Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
This rare first-round matchup features the double-digit seed as a favorite in the eyes of Vegas. Drake impressed the eyes of just about every viewer during their thrilling Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship win over Indiana State. They knocked down 11 of their 19 three-point attempts and survived a ferocious rally from the Sycamores to secure a tournament bid. The Bulldogs have a very efficient offense that’s predicated on protecting the ball and making shots from every area on the court. They rank top 40 nationally in eFG%, 3P%, 2P%, FT%, and turnover rate. Tucker DeVries is one of the better offensive wings in the sport, averaging 21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
After being picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 during the preseason, Washington State ended up being one of just three teams to earn an at-large bid from that league. They are a strong defensive team that likes to slow games down and win on that end of the floor. The Cougars swept Arizona this year, holding the Wildcats under 75 points in both meetings. Isaac Jones and Myles Rice each score over 15 points per game and will have to be key playmakers down the stretch of games for Washington State to make a game.
The key factor to watch in this matchup will be how Drake’s half-court offense translates against a strong Power-6 defense like Washington State’s. If they can generate and knock down the looks that they have gotten all year against Missouri Valley foes, I don’t see the Cougars being able to keep up in this game. On the flip side, if Washington State can force Drake into uncharacteristic turnovers and tough twos, they should be able to grind out a win. I will trust that Drake can still perform at a high level against a team like Washington State. For our Washington State vs Drake prediction, we are picking the Drake Bulldogs to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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