Who’s playing
Valparaiso Tags @ Drake Bulldogs
Current records: Valparaiso 10-9, Drake 16-2
How to watch
What you need to know
Valparaiso is 1-9 against Drake since February 2020, but they will have the opportunity to close the gap a bit on Wednesday. The two will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Knapp Center. The Beacons strut with some offensive power as they have averaged 77.7 points per game this season.
Valparaiso heads into Wednesday’s game looking for a big change in momentum after losing its third straight game on Saturday. They lost 81-74 to UIC. The game was 38-38 at halftime, but the Beacons were unable to close it out.
The losing team was bolstered by All Wright, who went 7 of 12 on his way to 18 points and five assists. The dominant performance gave him a new career high in assists.
Meanwhile, Drake entered their Saturday match with three straight wins…but they came away with four. They cruised past the Sycamores with points to spare, winning the game 71-53.
Drake’s success was led by the efforts of Mitch Mascari, who went 5 of 7 en route to 19 points plus two steals, and Bennett Stirtz, who nearly dropped a double-double with 16 points and nine assists.
Valparaiso’s loss ended a four-game home winning streak and dropped them to 10-9. As for Drake, his victory improved his record to 16-2.
Wednesday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Valparaiso has crashed the boards this season, averaging 37 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Drake, as they only average 31.7. Given Valparaiso’s considerable advantage in this area, Drake will need to find a way to close that gap.
Valparaiso will hope to defy the odds on Wednesday as experts believe it is headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, keep Valparaiso’s opponent in mind: they have a solid 7-1 ATS record against Drake in their last eight matchups.
Odds
Drake is a big favorite with 14 points against Valparaiso, according to the latest college basketball odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of ​​the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bulldogs as 14.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 128.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Drake has won 9 of its last 10 matches against Valparaiso.
- December 5, 2024 – Drake 66 vs. Valparaiso 60
- January 31, 2024 – Drake 81 vs. Valparaiso 70
- November 29, 2023 – Drake 83 vs. Valparaiso 65
- February 4, 2023 – Drake 85 vs. Valparaiso 82
- December 29, 2022 – Drake 68 vs. Valparaiso 63
- February 23, 2022 – Drake 71 vs. Valparaiso 65
- December 2, 2021 – Drake 73 vs. Valparaiso 66
- February 7, 2021 – Valparaiso 74 vs. Drake 57
- February 6, 2021 – Drake 80 vs. Valparaiso 77
- February 19, 2020 – Drake 77 vs. Valparaiso 75
