Drake vs Missouri Odds, Prediction and March Madness Picks, March 20

Drake vs Missouri March Madness Odds

The first round of the West Region has an intriguing matchup between the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers and the No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs on Thursday. While Missouri is the better seed and the favorite in NCAA basketball odds, it’s Drake that has a better record with 30 wins and the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

Drake vs Missouri Prediction Today March 20

My prediction

This is one of the popular NCAA basketball picks for a first-round upset, and I’m here for it. Drake has been solid all season long, coming into the NCAA Tournament on a seven-game winning streak. The biggest question for the Bulldogs is the lack of competition, with a victory over Vanderbilt being their biggest win of the season. Missouri, on the other hand, went through the gauntlet of the SEC and should be able to pull out a narrow victory in this one, increasing their March Madness odds.

Top 3 Drake vs Missouri Betting Picks

My top picks

1. Drake ATS +6 (-115)
2. Drake vs Missouri Over 132
3. Drake vs Missouri G Bennett Stirtz Over 17.5 Points (-118)

My Analysis

While Drake is a darling Cinderella pick, Missouri has gone through a much tougher schedule to get here. Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz averages 19.1 points and 5.7 assists per contest, and his play will keep Drake in this game. But, despite losing five of their last seven games, the Tigers will pull this one out late.

Missouri’s Mark Mitchell (knee) is expected to be fully available for the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament game this week, per a school spokesman.

DNP in last game.

Averages 14.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 16, 2025

It’s some major college basketball news that guard Mark Mitchell (14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds) will return for the Tigers, and he’ll be a big factor after he left Missouri’s win over Mississippi State in the SEC tournament with a knee injury and hasn’t played since. The Tigers’ scoring takes over late to push them to the next round.

Drake vs Missouri How to Watch

• Game: Drake (30-3) vs Missouri (22-11)
• Date/Time: Thursday, March 20, 7:35 p.m. ET
• Location: INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS
• Drake vs Missouri Live Stream: truTV

Get more Drake vs Missouri stats here.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.