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Drake vs Miami Picks & Odds – Hurricanes Slim 2-Point Favorites as #5 Seed

Quinn Allen

by Quinn Allen in College Basketball

Updated Mar 16, 2023 · 5:25 PM PDT

Miami (Fl) Hurricanes guard Isaiah Wong warming up
Mar 16, 2023; Albany, NY, USA; Miami (Fl) Hurricanes guard Isaiah Wong (2) on the court during first round practice at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
  • No. 12 Drake faces No. 5 Miami on Friday
  • The Hurricanes are a 2-point favorite in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament
  • Find the Drake vs Miami odds, analysis, and picks below

In Midwest Region action on Friday at the 2023 NCAA Tournament,  #12 Drake (27-7, 16-16-1 ATS) will go to battle against #5 Miami (25-17, 18-14 ATS) at MVP Arena in Albany, New York. the tip-off is scheduled for 7:25 PM ET. Keep reading for the Drake vs Miami odds.

The Bulldogs just won the Missouri Valley Championship last week by thrashing Bradley 77-51, their third straight win. The Hurricanes meanwhile lost in the ACC semifinals to Duke last Friday but did have the best record in the conference during the regular season at 15-5.

Drake vs Miami Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Drake +2 (-110) +110 Ov 146.5 (-110)
Miami -2 (-110) -130 Un 146.5 (-110)

Miami is a very slim 2-point favorite with moneyline odds of -130. They’ve covered in 56.3% of their games this season. Drake meanwhile sits at +110 and owns a 2-3 record as an ATS underdog.

 

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Drake Coming in Hot

The Bulldogs might be a #12 seed in the March Madness bracket, but they cannot be taken for granted. Drake comes in with a 9-1 record in their last 10 contests and absolutely cruised through their conference tournament, beating their three opponents by an average of 13 points.

Leading the way for this group is 6 foot 7 sophomore guard Tucker DeVries, who is averaging 19 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG. His backcourt mate Roman Penn is also putting up 12.6 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 4.6 RPG. These two have a ton of chemistry and will need to be at their best on Friday.

The Bulldogs are a very experienced team that does a tremendous job of taking care of the basketball. They’re coughing up the rock just 9.8 times per game, which ranks top 20 in the nation. Drake is a fantastic three-point shooting team as well, draining 37.3% of their triples.

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Miami Could Be Down Key Starter

The Hurricanes are the favorite, but there is a chance that starter Norchad Omier isn’t able to play here. He’s dealing with an ankle injury. If Omier doesn’t suffer any setbacks before tip-off, he’ll be available, though. Omier is a player who is averaging 13.6 PPG and 9.7 RPG. That’ll be tough to replace.

Miami is coming off a very impressive season under head coach Jim Larranaga, taking first place in the ACC despite the loss to the Blue Devils in the conference semifinals. It’s important to note they’ve yet to lose back-to-back games all year, which is a good sign for Friday’s matchup. The Canes went 5-5 against teams in the field of 68 but suffered defeats to the likes of Georgia Tech and Florida State.

Guard Isaiah Wong is the star of the show for Miami, leading the team with 16.2 points, 4.3 boards, and 3.4 dimes per night on 37% shooting from long range. He’s the king of hitting clutch shots. Jordan Miller, his co-star in the backcourt, is dropping 15.3 points per contest.

The Hurricanes are lethal in transition by forcing mistakes and using their athleticism on the fastbreak. That may be tough to do against a Drake squad that is far from sloppy, however.

Drake vs Miami Picks

I expect this to be a very entertaining matchup. But, I do think Omier’s status is going to be the difference-maker here because of his presence on the boards. He plays, Miami covers. If not, there’s value in Drake.

Pick: Miami -2 (-110)

 

Other March Madness first-round predictions:

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