The three-time reigning Missouri Valley Conference Champion Drake Bulldogs open their quest for a fourth when they open their season today against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.
The books have the Bulldogs as a hefty 10.5-point favorite right out of the gate.
My Northern Arizona vs Drake predictions and college basketball picks see too many new faces on both sides to expect a lot of scoring on Monday, November 3.
Want to make sure Covers shows up often in your Google search results and Discover feed?
Simply click here and add Covers as one of your "source preferences".
Northern Arizona vs Drake prediction
Northern Arizona vs Drake best bet: Under 143.5 (-110)
The only thing we know for certain is that this is not last year’s Drake Bulldogs team that finished 31-4 en route to an MVC crown.
There’s a new coach in Eric Henderson, who will fill the void left by Ben McCollum, who now patrols the sideline at Iowa.
With a new coach comes an almost entirely new roster, featuring 11 new faces, either from the transfer portal or as freshmen.
Redshirt junior Andrew Alia and redshirt sophomore Eli Shetlar are the lone returnees and accounted for less than 1% of scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals from a season ago.
While Henderson will want to do things his way, he should try to maintain that hard-nosed Drake defense, which ranked second in points allowed in the NCAA last year at 58.9 points per game.
They’ll be facing a Northern Arizona Lumberjacks team that is also turning its roster over, with only three returnees joined by seven transfers and four true freshmen.
Northern Arizona was a Top 3 scoring team in the Big Sky a year ago, averaging 75.9 points, which helped propel it to a solid 18-win season, the school’s highest win total in a decade.
Hopes aren’t as high this year, voted by coaches and media to finish last in the conference.
With so many fresh faces on both sides in a season opener in unfamiliar territory, scoring and cohesion will be an issue early on.
Each of Drake's last 10 games has produced a total of 141 points or fewer, and if that defense does show up again under a new coaching regime, this one could be a real slugfest to start the year.
Northern Arizona vs Drake same-game parlay
The point spread was Drake -8.5 points, but has since climbed to 10.5.
That’s a number that seems a little ambitious, considering there are no high-impact returnees to either team.
While I think Northern Arizona is a good bet to cover, this should still be Drake’s game to win.
The Bulldogs have proven to be one of the better mid-major programs in the country, as proven with their -650 moneyline odds for Monday.
Northern Arizona vs Drake SGP
- Under 143.5
- Northern Arizona +10.5
- Drake moneyline
Northern Arizona vs Drake odds
- Spread: Northern Arizona +10.5 (-115) | Drake -10.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Northern Arizona +475 | Drake -650
- Over/Under: Over 143.5 (-110) | Under 143.5 (-110)
Northern Arizona vs Drake betting trend to know
The Bulldogs have won 11 straight vs unranked opponents at a neutral venue. Find more NCAAB betting trends for Northern Arizona vs. Drake.
How to watch Northern Arizona vs Drake
| Location | Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, SD |
| Date | Monday, November 3, 2025 |
| Tip-off | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | YouTube |
Northern Arizona vs Drake key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
