The first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament will feature a fascinating matchup between the Drake Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Drake won Arch Madness, locking up the Missouri Valley Conference title, while Missouri had a strong season in a loaded SEC. In this 11-vs-6 matchup in the opening round of March Madness, it will be strength-versus-strength, as a great defense takes on a great offense.
Before tip-off in Drake vs Missouri, sports betting sites have Mizzou as a 6.5-point favorite. The total for the game stands at 132.5, as the total could go either way given the different styles in play in this matchup. Continue reading to find out where each team stands heading into this contest and to find out what bet we think is best.
Say Drake, We Heard You Like Defense
Drake won the Missouri Valley Conference championship and has had one of the most impressive seasons in mid-major college basketball. The Bulldogs went 30-3 this season, going undefeated in non-conference play. Their non-conference schedule included wins over Miami, Vanderbilt, and Kansas State, as they will look to add another impressive notch to their belt in the first round of the tournament here.
Drake’s defense will be the key to its success in this first round contest. The Bulldogs led the nation in scoring defense, giving up 58.4 points per game. They held their three power conference opponents to 70 points per fewer in each of those games and the Bulldogs will look to prove once again that their defense can be effective against more than just Missouri Valley Conference foes.
Missouri Looks to Avoid Upset In Round One
Missouri finished the regular season just two games above .500 in the SEC this year. But given how good and how deep the SEC was, that isn’t a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. Mizzou lost to Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament and lost four of its final five games heading into the NCAA Tournament. They will look to bounce back from a shaky ending here with a win in the first round of the tourney.
Missouri was lethal on offense throughout the 2024-25 season. They ranked ninth in the nation in points per game, averaging 84.5 points per contest. If they are going to avoid a first-round exit here, they are going to need to avoid prolonged scoring droughts that would give their opponents the belief that they can get stops in the key moments of this game.
Drake vs Missouri Prediction
Under 132.5 (-110)
220K Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps Coins
Claim Bonus - Drake leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing 58.4 points per game.
- Drake plays at a snail’s pace, which should help this game stay under the total.
