The red-hot Drake Bulldogs aim for the upset on Friday when they take on the Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Albany, N.Y. The 12th-seeded Bulldogs (27-7) defeated Bradley 77-51 to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on March 5. They have won 13 of their past 14 games, with the only loss coming to that same Bradley team. The Hurricanes (25-7) come in ranked 17th in the nation and seeded fifth, but they have lost two of their last four. One of those was an 85-78 setback to Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals last Friday. They also could be without big man Norchad Omier, who sprained his ankle against the Blue Devils. Still, the Hurricanes can score big and reached the Elite Eight last year.
Tip-off at Times Union Center is set for 7:25 p.m. ET. The Hurricanes are 2-point favorites in Caesars Sportsbook's latest Drake vs. Miami odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 146. Before locking in any Miami vs. Drake picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Miami vs. Drake and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Drake vs. Miami:
- Drake vs. Miami spread: Hurricanes -2
- Drake vs. Miami over/under: 146 points
- Drake vs. Miami money line: Hurricanes -130, Bulldogs +110
- DRA: The Bulldogs are 10-10-1 ATS since 2020 in neutral-site matchups.
- MIA: The Hurricanes are 9-8 ATS at neutral sites the past three seasons.
- Drake vs. Miami picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Miami can cover
The Hurricanes are 18-12 against the spread this season, including 14-8 ATS in conference play. They faced much stiffer competition, as the ACC produced five tournament teams. UM defeated Duke by 22 points last month and has road victories against the likes of North Carolina and Clemson. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong and fellow guard Jordan Miller can carry most of the load if Omier is out. They combine for 31.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals.
Miami averages 79.6 points and shoots 48.5% from the field, both among the top 25 in the nation. The Canes have topped 80 points in seven of their past 11 games. Omier is a key piece, averaging 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds, but Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar can make a difference. Pack scores 13.2 points per game and shoots 39.4% from 3-point range. Poplar shoots 40.5% from long range and averages 8.3 points and 1.2 steals in 23 minutes per game.
Why Drake can cover
The Bulldogs have been red-hot, peaking at the perfect time. They beat Wichita State in the First Four in 2021 for their first NCAA Tournament victory in half a century. They then lost to USC and are looking for more this time. Drake is a strong shooting team and faces a Miami defense that has struggled. Miami ranks 233rd in scoring defense (71.7 ppg) and 258th in opponent field-goal percentage (44.8). Drake allows 64.8 points (42nd) and 41.2% shooting (44th).
Drake is 16-16-1 ATS, 5-1-1 ATS at neutral sites. The balanced offense is led by Tucker DeVries, who averages 19 points and 5.6 rebounds. Roman Penn scores 12.6 and averages a team-high 5.4 assists, while Garrett Sturtz and Darnell Brodie combine for 18.3 points and 13.6 rebounds. Brodie should play a major role with Omier out or at less than 100%. DeVries, Penn and Sturtz all shoot better than 36.5% from 3-point range and at least 81.6% from the free-throw line.
How to make Drake vs. Miami picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 148 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Miami vs. Drake? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
