The Drake Bulldogs take on the Florida Atlantic Owls in Charleston, SC, as part of the Charleston Classic. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Owls are favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -178. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here’s my Drake vs FAU predictions and college basketball picks for November 22, 2024.
Drake vs FAU Prediction
My Pick: FAU -3.5
My Drake vs FAU best bet is on the Owls spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Drake vs FAU Odds
| Drake Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 145.5 -115 / -105 | +146 |
| FAU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -115 | 145.5 -115 / -105 | -178 |
- Drake vs FAU spread: FAU -3.5
- Drake vs FAU over/under: 145.5 points
- Drake vs FAU moneyline: FAU -178, Drake +146
- Drake vs FAU best bet: FAU -3.5
Spread
I like the Owls on the spread, but I wouldn't take it higher than 3.5.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the total.
My Pick: FAU -3.5
Drake vs FAU College Basketball Betting Preview
Drake and FAU have some similarities.
First, and the most obvious one, is they both notched wins over power-conference opponents in the first-round of the Charleston Classic (Miami and Oklahoma State, respectively). Second, they are both breaking in new head coaches (Ben McCollum and John Jakus). And finally, these rosters are fairly new (all but two players are newcomers for Drake, while FAU has 10 newcomers total).
So, how am I betting this game?
I'm going to back the Owls because of two reasons: I love the talent on this roster, and they are deeper than the Bulldogs.
The Owls have transfers from Louisville (Kaleb Glenn, their leading scorer), Illinois (Niccolo Moretti), Xavier (KyKy Tandy) and Florida State (Baba Miller). Most importantly, they have experience, as Tandy and Ken Evans Jr. are in their fifth and sixth seasons, respectively.
Add in Eastern Kentucky transfer Leland Walker, who averaged over 15 points per game last season, and the Owls have a solid core.
That's not to say Drake doesn't have a strong roster — it does — but it's relying heavily on players who are competing for the first time at the Division I level. Plus, they don't have a lot of depth.
The Bulldogs completely out-hustled Miami in their first game of this tournament, but now they have a short turnaround after their three leading scorers — Daniel Abreu, Bennett Stirtz and Mitch Mascari — played literally the entire game against the Canes.
It doesn't help that the Bulldogs only go about seven or eight guys deep, too.
FAU will advance to the title game and cover the spread in the process.
