Drake vs Illinois State prediction, pick, college basketball odds
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Drake-Illinois State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Drake-Illinois State.
The Drake Bulldogs are putting together a really good season under first-year coach Ben McCollum. The season is going so well for the Bulldogs that they have a chance to become an at-large team for the NCAA Tournament if they can finish their season with a minimal amount of losses. Drake is 12-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference, two games ahead of Northern Iowa and Bradley. Drake has some quality nonconference wins, such as a victory over Vanderbilt which gives the Bulldogs’ resume a certain degree of heft. If Drake can play the next month with no more than two total losses, it might have a shot at an at-large bid. If it can play the next month and lose only once (in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, sweeping all of its remaining regular-season games), it will have a legitimate chance to make the field if it doesn’t get the MVC’s automatic bid.
Another sign of how good this season has been for Drake: Ben McCollum has impressed the college basketball community so thoroughly in 2025 that he has been mentioned as a dark-horse candidate for the open Indiana coaching job. He’s obviously not the top pick, but to even be mentioned at all is an indication that people are noticing the great work he is doing at Drake as the replacement to Darian DeVries, who has coached superbly this season at West Virginia.
Here are the Drake-Illinois State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Drake-Illinois State Odds
Drake: -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -137
Illinois State: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +114
Over: 125.5 (-105)
Under: 125.5 (-115)
How to Watch Drake vs Illinois State
Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Drake Will Cover The Spread/Win
Drake is simply a much better team than Illinois State. Drake is 12-2 and in command of the Missouri Valley Conference. Illinois State is a modest 7-7 through 14 league games, in a three-way tie for fifth place. Drake’s consistency and strength in the Missouri Valley are reinforced by the fact that the Bulldogs have been a reliable road team. Weirdly, they lost at home to Murray State earlier in the season but won the rematch against the Racers on the road. Drake is comfortable winning away from home because it plays such good defense. What do analysts always say about defense? Lots of things, but one is this: Defense travels. Defense is how teams win road games. They can miss shots. They can be uncomfortable on offense. It doesn’t matter. The defense is there for them, and they can silence a hostile crowd by making sure the opposing team rarely scores. Drake will put the clamps on Illinois State and won’t allow the Redbirds to get the upper hand.
Why Illinois State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois State has been waiting for this game. The Redbirds circled it on the calendar when the Missouri Valley Conference schedule was released. It is the middle of February, with the college basketball season now residing in the part of the schedule when the long, hard slog will produce some nights when good teams just don’t play with the same juice or intensity. Drake has done a lot of heavy lifting, and this could be the night when the Bulldogs just don’t have their usual spark or verve. ISU can pounce on this opportunity to win at home and spring the upset.
Final Drake-Illinois State Prediction & Pick
This is not an easy spot for Drake. However, the spread is small. This seems like a game in which to make a live bet in the second half, provided the game is close (which is likely). Our lean is to Drake because the number is just 2.5. At 4.5, we would probably lean to ISU.
Final Drake-Illinois State Prediction & Pick: Drake -2.5
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