College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions for Drake vs. Saint Louis

Drake vs. Saint Louis Odds

Saturday, Dec. 17

8 p.m. ET

ESPN+

Drake Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+5.5 -108	147.5 -110o / -110u	+205

Saint Louis Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-5.5 -112	147.5 -110o / -110u	-255

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Coming into this season, the Drake Bulldogs and St. Louis Billikens were both picked by many to win their respective conferences. There was a ton of hype for both teams and they were projected by many to be two of the best mid-major programs in all of college basketball.

They can still live up to that hype. It's a long season and we're just over a month in. However, I'm not sure anyone expected that when these to met this year Saint Louis would be fresh off a five-point loss as a six-point favorite over Boise State, which followed a 20-point blowout at the hands of Iona.

Nor do I think anyone would have guessed the Bulldogs would still be looking for their first win in a true away game after losing by two to Indiana State and falling by 30 to Richmond last time out.

There's a lot of reason to believe both teams will eventually figure it out. But who can figure it out first on Saturday night when they matchup in Chaifetz Arena?

Drake Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have had seven long days to think about their 30-point loss to the Spiders a week ago. One would imagine they're eager to get on the court and just see some shots actually go through the basket — something that was a premium against the Spiders.

Richmond opened up the game against Drake with a 17-0 lead, from that point on Drake never got within fewer than 15. The Bulldogs have struggled on offense all year, ranking outside the top 200 in 3-point percentage while averaging 72.8 points per game. The loss to Richmond was their worst performance yet as they hit just 32.1% from the floor an an abysmal 14.3% from beyond the arc.

At the defensive end, Drake has been decent outside of the game against Richmond. The Bulldogs have held opponents to an effective field goal percentage of just 47.3% and the Spiders were the first team to score more than 75 against them.

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Saint Louis Billikens

Much like Drake, the Billikens have struggled at the offensive end. They do average 74.6 points per game, ranking inside the top 100, but that has come as of a result non-traditional scoring.

For example, the Billikens are catching 34.4% of their offensive rebound opportunities, averaging 11.6 second chance points per game. They also rank in the 82nd percentile when it comes to fast break points averaging 13.4 per game.

When it comes to true shooting percentage, the Billikens are hitting 53.9%, ranking below the 50th percentile among all Division-I teams.

While Drake at least has their defense to lean on, the Billikens have struggled severely, giving up 72.6 points per game. Saint Louis hasn't been able to find success when it comes to creating turnovers or limiting teams around the rim as opposing teams have averaged 35.9 rebounds per game.

Drake vs. Saint Louis Betting Pick

Saint Louis will face its third solid defensive team in a row after scoring fewer than 65 in each of the previous games that resulted in losses.

I think we see a similar result here against Drake. I expect the Bulldogs to try to slow the game down and make the most of their advantages over Saint Louis while they are on defense.

The Bulldogs have also been great at getting to the line and making the most of those shots when they do. Drake averages 19.1 free throw attempts a game and is the 20th-best free throw shooting team in the nation. Saint Louis opponents have averaged 20.3 free throw attempts per game.

Drake opened as a 6-point underdog, which i was able to grab it at, but I will feel comfortable backing the Bulldogs at +3 or better.

Pick: Drake +3 or Better

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