Free CBB Pick: Shockers vs. Bulldogs NCAAB Odds
Looking for Wichita State Shockers vs. Drake Bulldogs NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Shockers taking on the Bulldogs on Thursday, March 18th, 2021, at Mackey Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all college basketball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily basketball predictions like this Wichita State Drake matchup.
2021 NCAA Basketball Handicapping
(16-5) Wichita State Shockers vs. Drake Bulldogs (25-4)
Date: Thursday, March 18th, 2021
Time: 6:27 PM ET
Venue: Mackey Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana
Moneyline Odds: Shockers (-115), Bulldogs (+105)
Betting Odds: Wichita State -1
Betting Total: O/U 139.5
We finally have March Madness back in our lives and it kicks off this Thursday, March 18th with the Wichita State Shockers taking on the Drake Bulldogs to see who will get to take on the USC in the #6 vs. #11 matchup on Friday.
Fewer places were sweatier on Sunday than Wichita and Des Moines, where both the Shockers and Bulldogs sat anxiously waiting to hear their names to be called into the field as at-large bids.
Wichita State is coming off a loss to Cincinnati in the AAC semifinal game 60-59, while the Drake Bulldogs lost in their conference tournament championship game to the Loyola Chicago 75-65.
Wichita State Shockers
Wichita State captured the AAC regular-season title but fell short to Cincinnati in the semifinals of their conference tournament. Ultimately beating Houston out for the regular-season title probably saved the Shockers season and allowed them to secure an at-large bid. They endured poor metrics from the KenPom ratings and having to play a limited schedule (19 games!). Most people that call themselves “Bracketoligists” were shocked (no pun intended) to see Isaac Brown’s squad have their name called on Sunday.
Tyson Etienne has taken over as the leader of this team since his freshman year. With five of last year’s players transferring he has really had to step up for first-year head coach Isaac Brown. He averages a team-high 17.0 points per game. Alterique Gilbert has been a nice compliment to Etienne in the backcourt for the Shockers since transferring from UConn this past season. He leads the team in assists with 4.1 per game and is the team’s only other double-digit scorer at 10.3 points per game.
The Shocker’s backcourt is the main source of offense for this team and it could bode well for them in this game. With Drake wanting to press and try to put pressure on the ball as long as the Shockers are making shots behind the three-point line their shot-making/creating ability could be their advantage in this game.
Wichita averages 72.38 points per game which is ranked 146th in the country. They shoot 40.76% from the field and 34.18 from beyond the arc on the season.
Drake Bulldogs
With two terrific point guards and a great coach, the Bulldogs managed to climb out of the basement of the MVC from 2021 and earn the conference its first at large-bid since 2016 when Wichita State and Northern Iowa qualified for the big dance. Drake began the season as one of College Basketball’s darlings rattling off 18 straight wins and covering 18 straight games against the spread. All the credit should go to coach Darian DeVries who brought in some size with transfers ShaQuan Hemphill and Darnell Brodie to help fill out the roster.
Injuries almost ended up putting in question the Bulldog’s postseason hopes though as they lost starting point guard Roman Penn to a season-ending injury and were clueless as to how long ShaQuan Hemphill would be out with a fractured foot. (This will be his first game back post-surgery so keep an eye on his restrictions if there are any.)
Getting back Hemphill for this game would be huge for Drake as he is their leading scorer and rebounder on the season. He averages 14.1 points per game to go along with his 6.3 rebounds. He may not be the best shooter, but Hemphill’s ability to create and win one-on-one off the dribble forces more help from defenses, creating more open shots for the Drake three-point shooters, Jonah Jackson, and Tremell Murphy.
In his absence though it has given a couple of other players opportunities to flourish within the offense. Seton Hall transfer Darnell Brodie had to shoulder the load in the paint with Hemphill out and he proved he’s more than capable of going up against any big man thrown at him after battling it out with Cameron Krutwig of Loyola Chicago. The only knock on Brodie is that he is not offensively sound as Hemphill.
As a team, Drake averages 77.40 points per game which is good for 47th in the country. They shoot 49.40% from the floor and 36.96% from behind the three-point line. The Bulldogs are ranked 30th in the country when it comes to effective-field goal percentage clocking in at 54.5%.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs rank as a top 50 team nationally. Drake has limited opponents to just 64.66 points per game this season. Opponents are shooting 42.41% from the field and 31.62% from beyond the three-point range against the Bulldogs.
Betting Trends:
- Wichita State is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wichita State’s last 7 games.
- Wichita State is 8-1 SU in their last 9 games.
- Wichita State is 13-5-1 ATS in their last 19 games against Drake.
- Drake is 16-4 SU in their last 20 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Drake’s last 5 games against Wichita State.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Drake’s last 5 games this season.
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Drake’s last 5 games played in March.
- Drake is 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games played on a Thursday.
Free Wichita State Shockers vs. Drake Bulldogs NCAAB Prediction:
I lean with the Shockers in this game. Even though the Bulldogs will be getting back their star Tank Hemphill it looks like, I think that Wichita has the shooters to be able to overcome the Drake defensive attack. They have an outstanding group of guards that take great care of the ball, so turnovers should not be an issue.
The Shockers have multiple deep threats, but postseason regression is a scary thought. Wichita State is one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country and if they can knock down their threes they should be able to take over this game. They are the 77th best three-point shooting team in all of the country knocking down almost 9 a game.
Drake’s dominance against the spread received plenty of attention, and it already seems as if the public steam is riding the Bulldogs ATS luck, which makes me like the Shockers even more in this game. Give me Wichita State to cover the short spread and move on to face #6 seeded USC in the round of 64 on Saturday.
4* Free NCAA College Basketball Betting Pick: Wichita State -1
If you’re looking for more College basketball picks like this Wichita State Shockers vs. Drake Bulldogs matchup we’ll be providing 4* free college basketball predictions on the blog all season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free NCAAB Hoops picks!
Register here for a FREE Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers!