Drake vs. Washington State

The Missouri Valley Conference is ranked ninth in RPI, while the Pac-12 is seventh. Drake started 11-1 this season with an easy non-conference slate. They lost to Stephen F. Austin as a favorite, a team that ended up finishing sixth (10-10 record) in the WAC. The WAC is 15th in RPI. You need defense come tournament time and Drake was eighth in the 12-team MVC in field goal shooting allowed (.444). Drake is 45-27 UNDER the First Half total after a game where they made 50%+ of their 3-point shots. Washington State is on a 14-4 SU, 12-6 ATS run. The defense is second in the Pac-12 in points surrendered (66.88 per game) and 3-point defense (.320), plus No. 1 in shooting allowed (.422). The Cougars are 13-6 UNDER the First Half total versus winning teams and 18-8 UNDER the First Half total against teams that outscore their opponents by 8+ points per game. Play Washington State on the moneyline + the First Half UNDER the total.