Drake vs. Belmont Prediction, Odds for MVC Tournament Quarterfinal

The Drake Bulldogs snapped their losing streak when it mattered, beating Southern Illinois in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The bad news is they now have to take on the No. 1 seed, the Belmont Bruins, who went 16-4 in conference play this season.

Belmont won both regular-season meetings between these two teams, but the wins didn't come easily. The Bruins won by just two points against Drake in the first matchup, then won by a more comfortable margin of 13 in the rematch.

Does Drake have any chance of hanging with the regular-season champions on Friday afternoon? Let's find out what the oddsmakers think.

Drake vs. Belmont Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Drake +11.5 (-110)
Belmont -11.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Drake +430
Belmont -600

Total

OVER 159.5 (-110)
UNDER 159.5 (-110)

Drake vs. Belmont How to Watch

Date: Friday, March 6
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
Venue: Enterprise Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
Drake Record: 13-19 (6-14 in MVC)
Belmont Record: 26-5 (16-4 in MVC)

Drake vs. Belmont Key Player to Watch

Tyler Lundblade, G - Belmont Bruins

Tyler Lundblade is one of the best three-point shooters not just in the Missouri Valley, but in all of college basketball. He has taken 273 three-point shots this season, hitting them at a rate of 41%. If he gets hot from the perimeter on Friday, Drake is going to get put away early.

Drake vs. Belmont Prediction and Pick

Belmont leads all Division I college basketball teams this season in shooting, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.4%. Not only that, but the Bruins are also a great defensive team, ranking 75th in defensive efficiency.

Drake isn't going to have an answer for this Belmont team. They rank outside the top 150 in eFG%, and they rank 272nd in defensive efficiency.

This is a game between two teams who love to shoot the three-ball, but Drake's perimeter defense is amongst the worst in the country. The Bulldogs rank 340th in opponent three-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 37.1% from beyond the arc. That's terrible news with Tyler Lundblade on the opposing team.

This game is going to get late early for Drake.

Pick: Belmont -11.5 (-110)

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