Drake Bulldogs vs Evansville Aces Matchup

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

Evansville vs Drake Prediction

Looking to win big? The Aces and Bulldogs face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bulldogs are hosting the game at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA. The odds for this Missouri Valley conference game currently have Drake as the -17.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 119.5 points.

Evansville vs. Drake Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Evansville Aces at Drake Bulldogs
Where: Des Moines at The Knapp Center
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds DRAKE -17.5, EVANS +1175 | DRAKE -2825 O/U 119.5

Aces Preview: Are the Aces Ready for a Win at Des Moines?

Evansville improved to 5-10 on the season with a 69-51 home win over Illinois State on Wednesday. The Aces entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs but not only pulled off the upset, they covered the spread.

Evansville led 34-30 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the second half, allowing just 21 points while scoring 35. The game’s total points finished at 120, falling short of the 131.5 O/U line.

Aces Offense Breakdown

Evansville's offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting an even 50% from the field (26/52) with an effective field goal percentage of 57.7%. They connected on 64.3% of their two-point attempts (18/28) and hit 33.3% from beyond the arc (8/24). At the free-throw line, the Aces were nearly perfect, going 9/10 for 90%.

On the glass, Evansville managed just 4 offensive rebounds, but they dished out 15 assists. Tayshawn Comer led the way with 19 points and 5 assists, while Tanner Cuff, Cam Haffner, and Malachi Poindexter each added 14 points. Cuff and Poindexter both shot 6/9 from the field, with Poindexter hitting 2/4 from three-point range.

Aces Team Defense

Despite Evansville's defense allowing 51 points, they gave up 50% shooting from the field, with the opposing team hitting 26 of 52 shots. Inside the arc, Evansville allowed 64% shooting, as their opponents went 18/28 on two-point attempts.

From three-point range, Evansville's defense held the other team to 33% shooting, with 8 made threes on 24 attempts. The Aces also sent the other team to the line 10 times, where they made 9 free throws for 90%.

Bulldogs Preview: Is a Home Win Possible for the Bulldogs?

Drake Bulldogs Recent Game/Games

Drake improved to 11-2 on the season with a 64-57 road win over Bradley on Wednesday. The Bulldogs entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the victory.

After a 31-31 tie at halftime, Drake's defense stepped up, holding Bradley to just 26 points in the second half while scoring 33 of their own. The total points for the game came in at 121, staying under the O/U line of 126.5.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Drake's offense put up 64 points in their last game, shooting 44.7% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 16 attempts for 25%, while their effective field goal percentage was 48.9%.

At the free-throw line, the Bulldogs connected on 18 of 28 attempts, shooting 64.3%. Tavion Banks led the way with 19 points, shooting 60% overall, and Zek Montgomery added 17 points despite missing all 5 of his three-point attempts.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Drake's defense held their opponent to 57 points, despite allowing them to shoot 44% from the field. The Bulldogs gave up 15 two-point baskets on 25 attempts, a 60% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Drake limited their opponent to 5 made three-pointers on 20 attempts, a 25% success rate. The Bulldogs also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 15 times, where they converted 12 attempts, shooting 80%. Drake allowed 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Aces vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Evansville has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 56 points per game in these games.
In their last three home games, Drake has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 67. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
The Aces have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
Over the team's last five games as the favorite, the Bulldogs struggled vs the spread going just 1-4. However, they still had a straight up mark of 3-2.