Bradley Braves (22-10) vs. Drake Bulldogs (26-6)
March 9, 2024 6:00 pm EDT
The Line: Drake Bulldogs -2; Over/Under: +140
(Get latest betting odds)
The Drake Bulldogs and the Bradley Braves meet in college basketball action from the Enterprise Center on Saturday evening. Who advances to the MVC title game? Let’s dive in and find out with our Drake vs. Bradley Prediction.
Drake Team Preview
The Drake Bulldogs come into this one after taking out Evansville by a final score of 79-58 in the quarterfinals. Tucker DeVries leads Drake in scoring and rebounding with 21.9 PPG and 3.5 APG in addition to 6.9 RPG while Atin Wright has 13.7 PPG with 2.1 APG as well on the year. Kevin Overton has 12 PPG with 3.4 RPG and Darnell Brodie’s contributed 11.5 PPG with a team-high 8.1 RPG as well to lead Drake on the glass and round out the scoring for the Bulldogs in double figures on the year. As a team, Drake is averaging 80.7 PPG on 48.3% shooting from the field, 36% from three and 75.5% from the foul line this season.
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Bradley Team Preview
The Bradley Braves punched their ticket to the semis thanks to a 74-47 win over UIC last time out. Duke Deen leads the Braves in scoring and assists with 14.3 PPG and 3.9 APG along with 3.2 RPG while Malevy Leons has 14.1 PPG with a team-high 6.8 RPG to lead Bradley on the glass. Connor Hickman has 14.1 PPG with 3.1 APG and 3.3 RPG and Darius Hannah has 11.7 PPG with 6.4 RPG to cap off the scoring in double figures for Bradley so far this season. As a team, Bradley is averaging 74.8 PPG on 47.4% shooting from the field, 36.8% from three and 72.6% from the foul line this season.
Drake vs. Bradley Prediction
I’m on Drake here. The Bulldogs in my eyes are the more complete team and from the beginning, I’ve had Drake and Indiana State penciled in as the finals of this conference tournament. I just have a hard time trusting Bradley away from home and while the win over UIC was all well and good, I think when the rubber meets the road, the Bulldogs find a way to get it done. Give me Drake.
