College Basketball Odds, MVC Tournament Picks, Predictions: Will Belmont Upset Drake?

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Written By Eli Hershkovich | Last Updated March 8, 2025

Among Saturday’s college basketball odds, the Drake Bulldogs (28-3, 17-3) take on the Belmont Bruins (22-10, 13-7) in the 2025 Missouri Valley Tournament semifinals. Neither team is in my college basketball power rankings, but the Bulldogs opened as 6.5-point favorites at the Enterprise Center. Let’s dive into the odds and my picks for Drake vs. Belmont, including potential same-game parlay options.

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drake vs. belmont odds: spread, moneyline, total

March Madness Odds

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College Basketball Best bets: drake or Bemont ats?

The Bulldogs and Bruins quickly separated themselves from their opponents in Friday’s MVC quarterfinals, winning by double figures and covering the point spread. This matchup should feature a more back-and-forth affair with a trip to the league’s title game on the line.

Although Drake covered comfortably as 8.5-point favorites in their lone regular-season meeting on Dec. 29, delivering a 65-46 victory, Belmont was only rounding into form then. Remember that the Bruins lost all five starters via the 2023-24 campaign.

These teams operate at a polar opposite pace, with Belmont generating a top-30 adjusted tempo and the MVC regular-season champs settling dead last in that category. How may this impact the outcome?

Fade The Drake?

On paper, the Bulldogs are likelier to dictate the speed of the action, given their 58th-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency and elite transitional denial. However, Casey Alexander’s offense runs plenty of cuts and off-ball action, in which Drake ranks in the 34th percentile or worse at defending on a points-per-possession (PPP) basis.

Even with defensive guru Ben McCullom and two-way star Bennett Stirtz leading the way, I believe Drake has outperformed its standing. The Bulldogs have compiled five overtime victories, a sign of late-game luck. They’ve also struggled to guard pristine shooters, and the Bruins present their fair share, guided by transfers Jonathan Pierre (Memphis) and Carter Whitt (Furman).

My MVC betting guide notes that Drake’s March Madness resume can afford a loss in St. Louis. There isn’t the same sense of urgency as recent one-seeds in the Missouri Valley tournament. Considering these factors, I’ll take Belmont to hang within the number.

Final Betting Thoughts

On Saturday morning, I bet on Belmont +8.5 (-115), which you can find on our sports betting Discord channel. I also threw in a small play on the moneyline for a potential ML rollover piece.

Users can enroll in Discord push notifications by heading to the #roles server. Good luck with your plays for Drake vs. Belmont odds!