Drake Bulldogs vs Illinois State Redbirds Matchup

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

Illinois State vs Drake Prediction

Betting on today's Redbirds and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 9:00 ET on Gray. The over/under for this game is set at 124 points, and Drake is favored by -9.5 vs. Illinois State in a Missouri Valley conference matchup.

Illinois State vs. Drake Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Illinois State Redbirds at Drake Bulldogs
Where: Des Moines at The Knapp Center
Date: Wednesday, January 15th
Betting Odds DRAKE -9.5, ILLST +375 | DRAKE -502 O/U 124

Redbirds Preview: Is a Win at Des Moines Possible for the Redbirds?

Illinois State dropped to 9-7 on the season after a narrow 85-84 home loss to Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Redbirds, who were favored by 1 point, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 169, well over the 137.5-point O/U line.

Illinois State led 43-36 at halftime but allowed 49 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41. The Redbirds will need to tighten up defensively to get back on track.

Redbirds Offense Breakdown

Illinois State's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 84 points with a 46.3% field goal percentage. They were especially effective from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 24 threes for a 50% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 57.4%. At the free-throw line, they connected on 22 of 27 attempts, good for 81.5%.

Trey Campbell led the way with 30 points, knocking down 8 of 13 threes at a 61.5% clip. Chase Walker added 27 points and 9 rebounds, while Johnny Kinziger contributed 19 points and 4 assists. Tytan Anderson filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, shooting 71.4% from the field.

Redbirds Team Defense

Illinois State struggled defensively, giving up 85 points on 46% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 12 threes at a 50% clip, going 12/24 from beyond the arc.

The Redbirds also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 22 free throws, shooting 81%. Illinois State gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bulldogs Preview: Taking a Look at the Bulldogs Chances at Home

Drake improved to 12-2 on the season with a 63-40 win over Evansville on Saturday. Playing at home, the Bulldogs entered the game as -15.5 favorites and covered the spread with the victory.

Drake led 25-20 at halftime and dominated the second half, outscoring Evansville 38-20. The game’s total points of 103 fell short of the 120.5 over/under line.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Drake's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 40% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc, finishing with 63 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.5%, and they hit only 59.1% of their free throws.

Offensive rebounding was a bright spot, as they grabbed 19 boards, with Tavion Banks pulling down 13. Bennett Stirtz led the way with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 63.6% from the floor and 40% from three.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Drake's defense held their opponent to just 40 points, despite allowing them to shoot 40% from the field. The Bulldogs gave up 16 two-point field goals on 33 attempts, a 48% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Drake limited their opponent to 6 threes on 22 attempts, a 27% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 22 times, where they converted 13 free throws, shooting 59%.

Redbirds vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Illinois State has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 73 points per game while allowing 77. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Through their last ten home games, Drake has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 75 points per game.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Redbirds have gone 9-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.