Drake Bulldogs vs Northern Iowa Panthers Matchup

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

Northern Iowa vs Drake Prediction

Planning on watching today's Panthers and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at The Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 123 points, and Drake is favored by -7.5 vs. Northern Iowa in a Missouri Valley conference matchup.

Northern Iowa vs. Drake Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Northern Iowa Panthers at Drake Bulldogs
Where: Des Moines at The Knapp Center
Date: Wednesday, January 29th
Betting Odds DRAKE -7.5, NIOWA +247 | DRAKE -309 O/U 123

Panthers Preview: Do the Panthers Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

Northern Iowa Panthers Recent Game/Games

The Panthers improved to 12-8 on the season after a 74-56 road win over Indiana State on Saturday. Northern Iowa entered the game as -3.5 favorites and covered the spread with the win.

They led 38-26 at halftime and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, outscoring the Sycamores 36-30. The game’s total points of 130 fell short of the O/U line of 154.5.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Northern Iowa put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 48.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%. They hit 41.2% from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 17 attempts, while making 19 of 37 two-point shots (51.4%). At the free-throw line, they converted 15 of 21 attempts, good for 71.4%.

Jacob Hutson led the Panthers with 19 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 46.2% overall. Markus Harding also shot 46.2%, hitting 4 of 7 from three-point range (57.1%) and finishing with 16 points and 8 boards. Ben Schwieger contributed 15 points, shooting 62.5% from the field and 50% from three, while Trey Campbell and Tytan Anderson each added 14 points, with Anderson hitting both of his three-point attempts.

Panthers Team Defense

Even with Northern Iowa's strong defensive effort, holding their opponent to just 56 points on 34% shooting, they couldn't come away with the win. The Panthers limited their opponent's two-point shooting to 40% (11/27) and three-point shooting to 28% (8/28).

Northern Iowa sent their opponent to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 10 attempts for 62%. The Panthers gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bulldogs Preview: Can the Bulldogs Pull Off a Home Win?

Drake improved to 16-2 on the season with a 69-62 road win over Missouri State on Saturday. The Bulldogs were favored by 8.5 points but didn’t cover the spread.

Drake led 35-25 at halftime but allowed 30 points in the 2nd half while scoring just 20. The game’s total points of 131 went over the pre-game line of 118.5.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Drake's offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 49%. They hit 6 of 16 from beyond the arc, shooting 37.5% from three, and connected on 79.2% of their free throws, going 19 for 24 at the line.

Michael Osei-Bonsu led the way with 24 points and 13 rebounds, hitting 10 of his 16 shots. Vincent Brady II added 14 points, making 4 of 7 from three, while Bennett Stirtz contributed 18 points and 4 assists, shooting 66.7% from deep.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Drake's defense gave up 62 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 50% from the field. Inside the arc, they conceded 16 of 28 shots for 57% shooting.

From three-point range, their opponent hit 8 of 20 attempts, shooting 40%. Drake also sent them to the line 12 times, where they made 6 free throws.

Panthers vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Northern Iowa has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 72 points per game while allowing 69. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Drake has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 68 points per game while allowing 57. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 3-0, while going 1-2 against the spread.