The Bradley Braves will travel to The Knapp Center to take on the Drake Bulldogs this Wednesday night in College Basketball action.
The Bradley Braves dropped to 8-10 on the season after being defeated by the Illinois State Redbirds, 74-65, this past Sunday. Bradley led by a 40-26 margin at halftime, however, the Braves were dominated on both ends of the court in the 2nd half and could not fight back after Illinois State took a 61-52 lead with 4:03 left in regulation. Bradley shot 41.4% from the field & 32.4% from beyond the arc while allowing Illinois State to shoot 43.9% from the field & 40.0% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Braves was Terry Roberts who had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, & 3 steals.
On the season, Bradley is averaging 71.8 ppg on 44.0% shooting from the field. The Braves are averaging 8.4 three-pointers per game on 34.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Bradley has been led by Terry Roberts (15.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg), Malevy Leons (10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 bpg), Ja’Shon Henry (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg), & Rienk Mast (10.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 apg).
Defensively, Bradley is allowing their opponents to average 67.1 ppg on 39.7% shooting from the field. The Braves have a rebound margin of 5.8 and a turnover margin of -0.8.
The Drake Bulldogs won their 3rd straight game and improved to 13-5 on the season after defeating the Southern Illinois Salukis, 60-59, this past Monday. Drake led by 35-27 margin at halftime and was able to hang on late for the victory after a pair of FT’s by Garrett Sturtz with :23 seconds left in regulation gave the Bulldogs the lead for good. Drake shot 47.9% from the field & 33.3% from beyond the arc while allowing Southern Illinois to shoot 47.5% from the field & 41.7% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Garrett Sturtz who had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 steals in 29 minutes from off the bench.
On the season, Drake is averaging 74.4 ppg on 46.4% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs are averaging 8.4 three-pointers per game on 37.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Drake has been led by Tucker Devries (13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 apg), Garrett Sturtz (10.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg), Roman Penn (10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.8 apg), & Tremell Murphy (9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Defensively, Drake is holding their opponents to an average of 64.3 ppg on 42.5% shooting from the field. The Bulldogs have a rebound margin of 3.2 and a turnover margin of 1.5.
The Braves are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games, however, are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. Drake. The Bulldogs are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games & 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. MVC opponents.
Bradley has been led by their defense which ranks 132nd in scoring offense, 42nd in defensive FG%, & 49th in rebound margin, however, the offense has been a bit below average and currently ranks just 181st in scoring offense & 186th in FG%. Drake has been solid on both ends of the court this season as the Bulldogs currently rank 127th in scoring offense, 81st in FG%, & 69th in scoring defense.
Drake has not been great ATS this season and although I think they are the better team, I just don’t want to rely on Drake having to cover a mid-range spread. Bradley is just 1-5 on the road, however, they have for the most part been competitive on the road which includes an OT loss at Loyola Chicago & a 2-point loss at Toledo and as I think the Braves will keep this one competitive, I’m taking Bradley and the points. Good Luck!