A fun 5 vs 12 matchup is set for Friday night in the Midwest Region First Round. Drake, the Missouri Valley Conference Champs, will look to upset the ACC regular season champion Miami Hurricanes. The winner of this one will get the winner of #4 Indiana vs #13 Kent State. Below is our pick for Drake vs Miami matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Drake vs Miami Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Miami -2.5 |
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This game will be played at MVP Arena at 7:25 p.m. ET on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Why Bet on Miami:
✅ Miami went 9-2 in their final 11 regular season games.
✅ The Hurricanes are 6-0 in their previous six games against Quad Two opponents.
✅ Drake had just two opportunities against teams at Miami’s level and they went 1-1.
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Drake Bulldogs – A Dangerous 12 Seed
Drake made light work of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as they won all three games by 12+ points and capped off their great regular season in the right way.
Since February 1st, Drake is the 24th best team in the nation and are 10-1 in their 11 games during that span. The Bulldogs are the 32nd best offensive and 42nd best defensive team during that same time frame.
Drake is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 and just the sixth time in their school’s history. The Bulldogs won a First Four game in their most recent appearance.
Miami Hurricanes – An Even More Dangerous 5 Seed
Miami could not pull the ACC double as they fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament to the eventual champions, Duke. It was still a great regular season for the Hurricanes and they can cause some damage this month.
Over the last six weeks, Miami is ranked the 39th best team in the nation and are 8-2 in their 10 games during that time. The Hurricanes are the 10th best offensive team, but are 144th defensively in that same time frame.
Miami is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season will look to replicate their run to the Elite Eight last season.
