Towson vs Drexel Odds and Picks (Jan. 3)

• Drexel is a 1.5-point favorite over Towson on Monday
• Drexel is playing its first game in 20 days
• Read below for analysis and a betting prediction

Drexel (4-4)  is a 1.5-point home favorite over Towson in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both at 6 pm ET Monday on the CBS Sports Network. The Dragons have not played since a 76-69 home victory over Coppin State on Dec. 14 after pre-Christmas games against Philly foes Temple and La Salle were postponed because of Covid concerns in the Drexel program.

Towson (9-4) has won six of its last seven, with a pair of three-game winning streaks separated by an 11-point loss at Ohio State on Dec. 8. The line moved quickly here — the Tigers were a 1.5-point favorite when the game opened.

Towson vs Drexel Odds

Odds as of January 2nd at BetMGM.

Drexel features two of the best players in the Colonial Athletic Association, according to the preseason poll of coaches and media. Dragons’ senior guard Camren Wynter was voted the CAA preseason player of the year and senior forward James Butler was named to the CAA first team.

Wynter, who is averaging  14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, was the Most Outstanding Player in the 2021 CAA tournament while leading the sixth-seeded Dragons to the league title.

The Preseason Player of the Year is focused on March @DrexelMBB's Cam Wynter pic.twitter.com/CnOhhTjDuc

— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) October 28, 2021

Drexel Dragons Betting Analysis

Even with go-to guys Wynter and Butler, Drexel has been a work in progress as coach Zach Spiker works to integrate Monmouth transfers Melik Martin and Abilene Christian Tre Brown. The Dragons are looking for their first two-game winning streak of the season while playing KenPom’s 155th rated non-conference schedule.

Butler has been one of the best players in the CAA to this point, averaging a double-double — 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds — while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. Physical Butler, who weighs 242 pounds, averages 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.

Most Double-Doubles since 2019-20

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois 32
Justin Bean, Utah State 32
James Butler, Drexel 32
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana 25
Ahsan Asadulah, Lipscomb 24
Jayden Gardner, Virginia 24
Jayveous McKinnis, Jackson State 24

— SERC (@SERCenter) December 11, 2021

Monmouth transfer Martin, a 6’6 forward, is averaging 9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds, and sophomore guard 6’2 Xavier Bell is averaging 10.1 points.

Sophomore guard 6’6 Lamar Oden joined the starting lineup in the victory over Coppin State and led the Dragons with 15 points. Senior distance shooter 6’4 Coletrane Washington, who also made his first start of the season in that game, had 9 points on 3 of 9 three-pointers.

Dragons are catching fire from the arc! 3-3 to start the game#FearTheDragon pic.twitter.com/30jCuYswSW

— Drexel Men's Basketball (@DrexelMBB) December 15, 2021

Washington missed last season with an ankle injury but led the CAA in three-point accuracy in 2019-20, making 43 of 98 three-pointers (43.9%).

Towson Tigers Betting Analysis

Towson will be back on the floor for the first time in 12 days, since a 69-52 thrashing of Navy as a slim 1.5-point favorite, when junior guard 6’4 Nicolas Timberlake scored 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the field. He made five of six 3-pointers and added 3 assists and was named CAA Player of the Week.

Timberlake leads the Tigers with a 14.5 scoring average and is one of four players scoring in double figures.

Junior forward 6’5 Cameron Holden, a second-team All-Ohio Valley guard at UT Martin in 2020-21, is averaging 13.5 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game, 3.2 on the offensive end. His pace is similar to the one he set at Martin, where he averaged 14.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a year ago.

Bradley transfer guard 6’4 Terry Nolan Jr. (12.0 points, 4.5 assists) and Jason Gibson (10.5 points) are the other double digit scorers on the perimeter-oriented Tigers. Timberlake has made 28 threes and Gibson has made 24, and those two and Holden are shooting greater than 40 percent from distance.

🏀🏀 @DelawareMBB tabbed as preseason favorites in what promises to be an entertaining Men's #CAAHoops race in 2021-22

📰 https://t.co/Lr1RKnTSwW pic.twitter.com/dJl3K76Iv2

— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) October 28, 2021

The Tigers lead the CAA with a plus-6.4 rebound margin, 49th in Division I, and also leads the league in field goal percentage defense (40.5).

Towson vs Drexel Pick

Towson is ranked No. 112 in KenPom adjusted efficiency margin, highest among CAA teams, and is 66th in offensive efficiency. Drexel is 173rd in adjusted efficiency and 156th in offensive efficiency. Towson is 11-2 ATS, 5-2 as a favorite. Drexel is 5-4 ATS, 3-3 as an underdog.

Drexel leads the season series 49-26 but Towson has won three straight, nine of the last 10, and 10 of the last 13 dating to the 2013 season. The Tigers have won four of the last five at the Daskalakis Center. Both scheduled meetings last season were canceled because of the pandemic.

It is hard to buck the recent trend in a long-standing rivalry. Towson likes it in this spot.

Pick: Towson +1.5 (-115)