Drake vs. Miami Predictions, Odds & Picks: Can Hurricanes Hold Off Trendy March Madness Underdog?

The ACC regular season co-champion Miami Hurricanes will face the Missouri Valley champion Drake Bulldogs in the first round of March Madness on Friday. Here are the best Drake vs. Miami predictions based on the top NCAAB odds.

The Hurricanes have been a bit hit or miss this season. While they have wins over the Pittsburgh Panthers, Duke Blue Devils, Virginia Cavaliers, and North Carolina State Wolfpack, they also have losses to the Florida State Seminoles and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. With the status of Norchad Omier unknown, the Hurricanes are not seeing the usual love of an ACC regular-season champ.

The Bulldogs are a trendy upset pick in this one because they have two really good scorers in Tucker Devries and Roman Penn. Devries is averaging nearly 20 points per game, while Penn is averaging 12.6 points per contest. Both players shoot over 36% from deep.

Here is our best Drake vs. Miami prediction (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Drake vs. Miami odds

Drake vs. Miami prediction

Miami -2 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Do not buy into the Bulldogs hype.

If the Hurricanes were going against any other 12 seed, they would likely be done in the first round. However, the Bulldogs are the best matchup they could have asked for, even if Omier doesn’t play.

The Bulldogs are a dangerous 12-seed, there is no denying that, but their strength is their guards, and the Hurricanes’ guards are simply better. Isaiah Wong was the ACC Player of the Year, Jordan Miller shoots over 50% from the floor, and Nijel Pack shoots 39.4% from deep.

Check out our March Madness best bets for Friday! Our Mike Spector went 3-1 on Thursday's games.

The fact is, once Omier got hurt against Duke, the Canes immediately popped up on everyone’s radar as a high seed that was going to fall in the first round. Yet, no one seems to be talking about the fact that the Canes had to completely change their strategy 1:04 into the contest, and managed to stick with the Blue Devils until the very end of the game.

This is an experienced Miami team that went to the Elite Eight last season. Many of the key players from that group are back, and if Omier can play, then the Canes are even better down low than they were a season ago. But even if Omier is out, the Hurricanes are going to win this game by a few possessions.

And for those wondering about Omier’s status, there was a video released where he looked like he was shooting pretty well in practice today.

Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.

Drake vs. Miami best odds

DraftKings (-110)

All five major sportsbooks have moved this line in favor of the Bulldogs since it opened as a 2.5-point spread. FanDuel has moved the line the furthest, essentially making this game a pick ’em. However, the price there is too expensive since this is a game we think the Hurricanes can win by 10.

BetMGM has this line at -2.5, but the price is the same as the other three major sportsbooks that are offering -2, so there is no value in that play. Therefore, you should wager at either DraftKings, Caesars, or PointsBet.

Drake vs. Miami odds analysis

The spread has continued to decrease after the Hurricanes opened as 2.5-point favorites. This has happened despite the Canes seeing 62% of the betting action backing them to cover. The reason why this line is moving like this is because the Bulldogs are seeing a lot of support on the moneyline. Many people fill in their brackets, pick the underdog, and then see the +120 price at the sportsbooks. 

As for the total, there hasn’t been much movement since the line opened at 146.5. As of Friday morning, 52% of bettors are backing the Under, as both of these teams can score a lot of points.

Drake vs. Miami game info

• Date: Friday, March 17, 7:25 p.m. ET
• TV: TBS
• Location: MVP Arena, Albany, NY

Drake vs. Miami pick made 03/15/2023 at 12:13 p.m. ET.

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