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A first-round showdown in the 2024 NCAA Tournament has the No. 10 seed Drake Bulldogs and the No. 7 seed Washington State Cougars linking up on Thursday night. Washington State has made the NCAA Tournament seven times but this is the first appearance since 2008. Drake is making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, including three of the last four years. The Bulldogs are playing well right now, entering March Madness on a five-game winning streak.

Tipoff from the Chi Health Center Omaha in Nebraska is set for 10:05 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs are 1-point favorites in the latest Drake vs. Washington State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 139. Before making any Washington State vs. Drake picks, you need to check out the college basketball analysis from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Washington State vs. Drake. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Drake vs. Washington State:

• Drake vs. Washington State spread: Bulldogs -1
• Drake vs. Washington State over/under: 139 points
• Drake vs. Washington State money line: Bulldogs -116, Cougars -104
• WSU: 17-15-1 ATS this season
• DRKE: 18-15 ATS this season
• Drake vs. Washington State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Drake can cover

Junior guard Tucker DeVries has been this year's standout for the Bulldogs. The Iowa native leads the team in scoring (21.8), assists (3.6) and steals (1.6). He's also shooting 36% from 3-point range on 7.2 attempts per game. He dropped 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists against Indiana State in the MVC Final.

Junior guard Atin Wright is another three-level scorer. Wright bursts into the lane and owns a reliable jumper from the outside. The California native averages 13.9 points and two assists and shoots 41% from beyond the arc. On March 9 versus Bradley, Wright logged 20 points and three boards. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Washington State can cover

Freshman guard Myles Rice is making an impact in his first season in the backcourt. Rice has terrific quickness with awareness to jump into passing lanes. The South Carolina native averages 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. In the Pac-12 quarterfinal win over Stanford, Rice tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Senior forward Andrej Jakimovski plays with a bunch of energy. Jakimovski is an active defender and constantly moves without the ball to create good scoring chances. He logs 10 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. In the Feb. 29 win over USC, Jakimovski had 13 points and six boards and made three 3-pointers. See which team to back at SportsLine.

How to make Drake vs. Washington State picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 149 points. The model also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can see the picks only at SportsLine. 

So who wins Washington State vs. Drake, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.

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