The Drake Bulldogs (6-16) will have a tough time bringing their 10-game road losing streak to a close when they take on the Indiana State Sycamores (12-10), who have won seven in a row at home. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and can be seen on ES3.
The Sycamores are hoping to rebound after their 104-96 loss to Loyola Chicago on Saturday. Brenton Scott was the team’s leading scorer with 28 points. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-70 win against Bradley on Saturday. Graham Woodward led the game in scoring by registering 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
Reed Timmer has upped his play over the last five games for the Bulldogs, averaging 19.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 three-pointer.
The Bulldogs may not find many second-chance opportunities in this matchup. They’re ranked 307th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 25.5%), whereas Indiana State is 16th-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 75.7%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Sycamores winning the first matchup 79-69. Devonte Brown had a stellar game with 27 points, eight rebounds, one steal, one block, and two three-pointers.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Indiana State, a substantial 12-point favorite, takes on Drake. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 145 points. The Sycamores come into this game 12-10 Straight Up (SU) and 13-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Sycamores prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 34th in the nation with 122 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game).
As for their opponent, the Bulldogs have 6-16 SU and 6-13 ATS records. Drake has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 1-9 record. Offensively, the Bulldogs have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 69.6 points per game after averaging only 64.0 during that stretch. One advantage for the Bulldogs could be Indiana State’s high fouls per game average of 22.5.
The Sycamores’ win over Drake in their last game bumped their SU record to 6-4 over Drake in their most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Indiana State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time, while Drake was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – InSt, ATS Winner – InSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Indiana State is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games.
Indiana State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
Indiana State is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana State’s last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana State’s last 5 games at home.
Indiana State is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Indiana State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Drake.
The Drake Bulldogs currently sit below 0.500 against the Missouri Valley Conference at 1-9 SU, while the Indiana State Sycamores have a 6-4 SU record.
The Indiana State Sycamores have a defensive rating of 97.5 (ranked 68th), while the Drake Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 104.5 (ranked 202nd).
Indiana State has an average field goal percentage of 40.8%. Drake is an abysmal 3-16 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Indiana State Sycamores and the Drake Bulldogs both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Indiana State is 315th and 293rd in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Drake is 70th and 45th in these categories.
Drake ranks 335th in offensive rebounds, while Indiana State ranks at 62nd in defensive rebounds.
Indiana State has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.5% this season. Drake has an underachieving 2-12 record when its TO% is 18.5% or higher.
