Belmont Bruins vs Drake Bulldogs Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Belmont vs Drake NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Des Moines.

Belmont vs Drake Prediction

Betting on today's Bruins and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Missouri Valley conference game currently have Drake as the -8.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 143.5 points.

Belmont vs. Drake Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Belmont Bruins at Drake Bulldogs
Where: Des Moines at The Knapp Center
Date: Sunday, December 29th
Betting Odds DRAKE -8.5, BELM +319 | DRAKE -413 O/U 143.5

Bruins Preview: Can Belmont Stun the Crowd at The Knapp Center?

Belmont fell to 8-3 on the season after a 92-84 loss to UC Irvine on Thursday. The Bruins, who were +2.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 176, surpassing the over/under line of 154.5.

Belmont appeared to be in control, leading 39-25 at halftime, but they allowed 67 points in the 2nd half while scoring 45 of their own.

Bruins Offense Breakdown

Belmont's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 84 points with a 46.4% shooting percentage from the field. They connected on 15 of 38 three-point attempts, shooting 39.5% from deep, and posted an effective field goal percentage of 58%.

Carter Whitt led the way with 25 points and 9 assists, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Bent Leuchten added 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Justin Hohn and Isaiah Walker each knocked down 4 threes, with Walker shooting 57.1% from long range.

Bruins Team Defense

Despite Belmont's defensive efforts, they allowed 92 points on 46% shooting from the field, with their opponent hitting 32 of 69 shots.

Belmont also gave up 15 three-pointers on 38 attempts (39%) and sent their opponent to the free-throw line 8 times, where they made 5 free throws (62%).

Bulldogs Preview: Will the Bulldogs Find a Way to Win at Home?

Drake improved to 9-0 on the season with a 72-62 win over Green Bay on Saturday. The Bulldogs were heavy favorites at -23.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 134 fell just under the O/U line of 136.5.

Drake led 40-32 at halftime and maintained their lead in the 2nd half, outscoring Green Bay 32-30.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Drake's offense put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 49.1% from the field. Their two-point shooting was a standout, hitting 67.6% (25/37), while struggling from beyond the arc, connecting on just 15% (3/20) of their threes. At the free-throw line, they shot 59.1% (13/22) and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, with 14 assists as a team.

Isaiah Jackson led the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 75% (9/12) from the field. Mac Wrecke and Tavion Banks each added 19 points, with Wrecke hitting 2 of 3 from three-point range. Cam Manyawu also contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes of play.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Drake's defense gave up 62 points, allowing the opposing team to shoot 49% from the field. Inside the arc, they were particularly vulnerable, with the other team hitting 67% of their two-point shots (25/37).

From three-point range, Drake held their opponent to just 15% shooting, as they made only 3 of 20 attempts. The opposing team also struggled at the free-throw line, converting 13 of 22 attempts (59%). Drake allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Bruins vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Belmont has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 79 points per game.
In their last five home games, Drake has averaged 71 points per game while allowing 65. The team's record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
As the betting underdog, the Bruins have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 0-2-1.