Wofford vs. Drake Odds
| Wofford Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | +540 |
| Drake Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12 -110 | 146 -110o / -110u | -740 |
Monday night's matchup between Wofford and Drake seems cut and dry on the surface. Wofford comes into the game having lost seven of its top eight scorers from a season ago. They added four transfers, one of which was from a JUCO program, and six scholarship players are true freshman.
The Terriers will be up against a Drake team that many believe is the favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs return five players who started at least 13 games on a 25-win team last year. They've also got one of the best players in the conference in Tucker DeVries, the head coach's son.
The Bulldogs made quick work of one of the worst teams in Division I in their first game of the season, beating IUPUI 80-48. Wofford, who actually lost 90-81 to High Point as a slight favorite in its first game was expected to be the Bulldogs first real test of the season. But do the Terriers really stand a chance against Drake?
Wofford Terriers
The Terriers might've lost most of their top players from a season ago, but they returned the best of the group in B.J. Mack. Last season, Mack led the team in points, rebounds, assist, steals and blocks.
He's picked up right where he left off and dropped 15 and 21 points in the Terriers first two games. He also added four rebounds and two assists against High Point. Mack will need an even better performance against the Bulldogs if they want to keep it close.
With as much turnover as the Terriers had, they needed young players to step up. Freshman Jackson Paveletzke has wasted no time doing exactly that, dropping 16 and 18 in the first two games. He's one to watch moving forward.
Messiah Jones, who was selected to the Preseason All-SoCon team, and newcomer Kyler Filewich can be a dominant duo around the rim. They lead the team in rebounds through two games and against Drake, who holds a significant size advantage over the Terriers, they are Wofford's best chance at evening the playing field.
Drake Bulldogs
It can't be understated how much getting DJ Wilkens, Roman Penn and Garrett Sturtz back for a third year means for this Bulldog team. The trio has been a consistent core for Drake since it arrived on campus. Their familiarity on the floor makes the entire team better.
And while the three of them established a solid core, head coach Darian DeVries' son, Tucker, shined as a true star in his freshman season. DeVries earned Freshman of the Year honors in the Missouri Valley Conference after averaging 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds a game last year. He also led the team with 75 three-pointers a season ago.
However, while they did blowout IUPUI in their first game, I think its worth noting they struggled with both fouls and turnovers. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 18 times against the Jaguars and racked up 21 fouls. It didn't matter much because of how bad IUPUI is, but the Jaguars added 11 points off of turnovers and nine from the line. Against Wofford, those numbers could be a much bigger issue.
Wofford vs. Drake Betting Pick
Drake is a more experienced team, a better team and should win this game easily. I'm not a fan of counting out this Wofford team, they always seem to find a way to remain competitive, but I just don't think they are there yet this season.
Wofford will likely try to slow the game down as much as it can, but the defense has struggled that I don't think the slow pace will make much of a difference.
Back Drake as high as a 15-point favorite over the Terriers.
Pick: Drake -15 or better
