The No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers (22-11) face the No. 11 Drake Bulldogs (30-3) on Thursday in a critical first-round match of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers enter the matchup having lost four of their last six games, while the Bulldogs have been exceptional all season, winning 19 of their last 20 games.

Missouri was defeated 95-81 by Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, whereas Drake secured their place in the tournament by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament against Bradley, 63-48.

Game Details

• Tipoff: 7:35 p.m. ET from Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
• Point Spread: Missouri -6.5
• Over/Under: 133.5 points
• Money Line: Missouri -255, Drake +210

Missouri’s Advantage

The Tigers are among the 14 SEC teams in this year’s tournament, boasting victories over formidable opponents like Florida, Alabama, and Kansas. Missouri’s offensive efforts are led by Mark Mitchell, who scores an average of 14.1 points per game, and they have an aggressive defense that averages 9.4 steals per contest.

Drake’s Strengths

Drake’s success comes from their tenacious defense, allowing only 58.4 points per game, ranking them first in the nation. Offensively, Bennett Stirtz averages 19.1 points and leads the team as a facilitator, significantly impacting Drake’s performance as they prepare to challenge Missouri.

Predictions and Picks

SportsLine’s predictive model suggests leaning towards the Over for total points, generating a projected combined score of 147. The model’s against-the-spread predictions have hit in over 60% of simulations. For comprehensive analyses and insights, check the selections on SportsLine.