2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Drake vs. Missouri

Drake and Missouri are both teams that defied expectations to reach the 2025 men's college basketball tournament, so it's only fitting to see them meet in the opening round. But the Tigers should have the edge here, even if they've been pegged as one of the potential first round upsets.

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Drake vs. Missouri, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Drake vs. Missouri

Missouri Over 69.5 Points (-106)

KenPom's No. 5 adjusted offense faces a mid-major 11 seed that's 228th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Oh, and that mid-major? They only have two rotation players taller than 6'6".

I'm, of course, talking about Missouri and Drake. Though the Bulldogs were among the nation's leaders in scoring defense and played at one of the country's slowest tempos during the regular season, they also only faced three power conference teams -- all of whom scored at least 69 points against them.

But those three -- Miami, Vanderbilt, and Kansas State -- pale in comparison to Missouri, so I'm happy to back the Tigers at -106 odds to go over 69.5 points.

Missouri averaged 84.5 points per game this season, which was fifth in the country. They were top-20 nationally in effective field goal percentage and recorded the second-highest free throw rate in the nation.

Drake let up only 59.7 points per game (second-fewest in the country), but they were a middling 228th in effective field goal percentage and ranked 255th in free throw attempt rate allowed.

Although they didn't face especially stiff competition this season, it's not like the Bulldogs were completely allergic to giving up points.

Missouri found offensive success regardless of the opponent, too. They averaged 82.9 points against top-50 defenses, cracking 70 in 14 and 16 such games. Even against the slowest-paced team on their schedule -- Tennessee -- Missouri still managed 81 points.

Drake will be like a breathe of fresh air for the Tigers coming off a gauntlet of an SEC schedule. Look for them to have few problems putting up points on the Bulldogs and to go over 69.5 points in the process.

Mark Mitchell (MIZZ) Over 13.5 Points (-106)

Missouri wing Mark Mitchell was absent for their SEC tournament loss against Florida but is expected to be fully available for tournament. That's good news for the Tigers chances, and it makes his 13.5-point prop worth considering against Drake.

Mitchell led the Tigers with a 24.8% usage rate and 14.1 points per game in the regular season. He notched at least 14 points in 16 of 23 games (70%) where he saw at least 25 minutes of action.

Now, Drake isn't the best matchup for props. The Bulldogs enter the tournament ranked 46th in adjusted defense while playing at one of the slowest paces in the country.

But they also ranked just 304th in 2-point field goal percentage allowed and struggled to defend the paint. Drake enters the tournament in the bottom 100 for rate of at-rim field goal attempts allowed and the bottom 50 in at-rim field goal percentage, per Bart Torvik. And that came despite them facing ranking 159th in KenPom's strength of schedule.

That bodes well for the 6"9" Mitchell. Over 60% of his attempts came at the rim this season, and he shot 66% on such looks.

Assuming he's good to go and playing close to 30 minutes against Drake, Mark Mitchell's 13.5-point prop feels awfully low.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.