Illinois State Redbirds vs Drake Bulldogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/15/25
Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Redbirds and Bulldogs. The game is starting at 9:00 ET on Gray, and it’s hosted by the Bulldogs at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 124 points, and Drake is favored by -9.5 vs. Illinois State in a Missouri Valley conference matchup.
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS VS DRAKE BULLDOGS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Illinois State Redbirds +9.5
This game will be played at The Knapp Center at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, January 15th.
WHY BET THE ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Bulldogs.
- Even though we have Drake winning straight-up, we like Illinois State at +9.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 124 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Can The Redbirds Secure a Win at Des Moines?
Illinois State’s season record dropped to 9-7 after a narrow 85-84 loss to Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Redbirds, who were -1 favorites at home, failed to cover the spread.
Despite leading 43-36 at halftime, Illinois State allowed 49 points in the second half while scoring 41. The game’s total points of 169 exceeded the O/U line of 137.5.
Illinois State’s offense put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 46.3% from the field. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 50% of their threes (12/24) and finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 57.4%. At the free-throw line, they connected on 81.5%, going 22/27.
Trey Campbell led the way with 30 points, knocking down 8 of 13 threes (61.5%) and shooting 58.8% overall. Chase Walker added 27 points and 9 rebounds, while Tytan Anderson contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, shooting 71.4% from the field.
Illinois State’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points on 46% shooting from the field. The Redbirds allowed 25 made field goals on 54 attempts.
From beyond the arc, Illinois State’s opponents shot 50%, hitting 12 of 24 three-point attempts. The Redbirds also sent their opponents to the line 27 times, where they converted 22 free throws for 81%.
Can the Bulldogs Hold Strong at Home?
Drake improved to 12-2 on the season with a dominant 63-40 win over Evansville on Saturday. The Bulldogs, who were -15.5 favorites going into the game, covered the spread with ease.
Drake led 25-20 at halftime but turned up the heat in the second half, outscoring Evansville 38-20. The game’s total points of 103 fell well short of the 120.5 O/U line.
Drake’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just 63 points on 40% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.5%, with a 27.3% mark from three-point range (6/22) and a 59.1% performance at the free-throw line (13/22).
Bennett Stirtz led the way with 16 points, shooting 7/11 overall and 2/5 from beyond the arc. He also contributed 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Tavion Banks grabbed 13 rebounds, despite shooting just 2/9 from the field.
Despite giving up 19 offensive rebounds, the Drake Bulldogs managed to hold their opponent to just 40 points. They allowed 40% shooting overall, with 22 made field goals on 55 attempts.
Drake’s defense limited their opponent’s three-point shooting to 6/22, or 27%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they hit 13, or 59%.