Southern Illinois vs. Drake Prediction, Odds and Key Players for MVC Quarterfinal

Iain MacMillan | Mar 6, 2025

Drake is favored against Southern Illinois in the MVC Quarterfinal on Friday afternoon. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If you want to get in on some Friday afternoon action, look no further than the Missouri Valley Conference Quarterfinal between Southern Illinois and Drake.

Drake enjoyed a first-round BYE as the top seed in the conference, and now they'll host No. 8 Southern Illinois, who took down Indiana State in an 86-85 thriller on Thursday. Drake took down Southern Illinois by a score of 75-65 in their only regular season matchup.

Let's dive into the odds and everything else you need to know to bet this game.

Southern Illinois vs. Drake Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Southern Illinois +8.5 (-102)
• Drake -8.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• Southern Illinois +330
• Drake -430

Total

• OVER 128.5 (-115)
• UNDER 128.5 (-105)

Southern Illinois vs. Drake How to Watch

• Date: Friday, March 7
• Game Time: 1:00 PM EST
• Venue: Enterprise Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
• Southern Illinois Record: 14-18 (8-12 Conference)
• Drake Record: 27-3 (17-3 Conference)

Southern Illinois vs. Drake Key Players to Watch

Southern Illinois

Ali Dibba: Ali Dibba dragged Southern Illinois to a first-round win against Indiana State, recording 30 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. If they want to upset the top seed in the conference, they're going to need him to have a similar performance.

Drake

Bennett Stirtz: Drake's offense goes through Bennett Stirtz, who is averaging 18.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. Not only is he the heart of their offense, but he is also averaging 2.2 steals per game, making him a key part of their defense as well. Whatever team wants to beat Drake needs to find a way to slow him down.

Southern Illinois vs. Drake Prediction and Pick

The interior defense of the Bulldogs could be a cause for concern heading into this quarterfinal match. 66.4% of the Salukis' shots come from two-point range, the 49th highest rate in the country. They attack opposing defenses down low, which is exactly Drake's weakness. The Bulldogs allow teams to shoot 54.3% from two-point range, which ranks 299th in college basketball.

Drake's biggest advantage against teams is their ability to force turnovers. Us bettors should take note that not turning the ball over has been a focus of Southern Illinois in recent games, as they've coughed it up on just 11.7% of their possessions in their last three games. That's one of the best rates in the country in that time frame.

I'm not going to claim Southern Illinois will pull off the upset, but I do think they can cover this 8.5-point spread.

Pick: Southern Illinois +8.5 (-102) via FanDuel

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