Drake (5-4) at Minnesota (8-3)
When: Monday, December 11th 2017
Where: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN
Time: 8:00 ET | TV: Big Ten Network
Opening Odds: Minnesota -19/154.5
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The Minnesota Golden Gophers won the first seven games of the season including their only true road game at Providence, but have fallen on hard times since. They will look to right the ship on Monday night with a non-conference tilt with the Drake Bulldogs out of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Gophers have had no problem scoring points this season, ranking 26th in the country at 86.5, but the defense has allowed 74.0 per game (217th). The defense fell apart in their most recent loss at Arkansas, which dropped the team to 8-3. The Razorbacks shot a sizzling 57.4% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc. Jordan Murphy, who leads the team in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (12.5), has posted a double-double in all 11 games and will take on a Drake team that ranks 291st in the nation in points allowed (78.6). The Bulldogs recorded a nice win over Wake Forest in their second game of the season, but lost three road games in a row recently before rebounding for a 93-74 win over Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday.
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Reed Timmer scored 27 points to lead Drake in its win over Omaha, and the senior guard enters Monday as one of the most accurate shooting guards in the country. Timmer is shooting 49.5% from the field, 56.1% from 3-point range and has drained 57-of-62 from the foul line. After Timmer (22.1 points), De’Antae McMurray is the next highest scorer on the team at 11.6 points, although he has eclipsed that mark only twice all season. Graham Woodward (11.4) and Nick McGlynn (11.0) are Drake’s other double-digit scorers, but the latter has fouled-out three times already this season. The Bulldogs are the ninth-best 3-point shooting team (42.9) in the country and eighth-best at the foul line (79.4).
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Guard Amir Coffey has scored at least 10 points in six straight games and averages 14.2 for the season – third-best on the Minnesota team. Nate Mason is second at 15.8 points and has at least 15 in five consecutive games, although his shooting percentage has taken a hit with poor efforts in three of the last four games. Reggie Lynch, like Murphy, is a monster in the paint, averaging 11 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game – which is second in the nation. Murphy has shot at least 53% from the field in eight of the Gophers’ 11 games.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEW AND FREE PICK
Drake shoots well, but they haven’t played anyone that could give them problems like Minnesota will. Head coach Richard Pitino is not happy with his team’s play recently, so I expect the Gophers to be focused and cruise to an easy win and cover.
Pick: Minnesota -19.5
- Bulldogs are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Bulldogs are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Monday games.
- Bulldogs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
- Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Bulldogs are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games.
- Golden Gophers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Monday games.
- Golden Gophers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game.
- Golden Gophers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
- Golden Gophers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
- Golden Gophers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Golden Gophers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Bulldogs last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Bulldogs last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 7-1 in Bulldogs last 8 Monday games.
- Over is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 overall.
- Over is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 non-conference games.
- Under is 5-1 in Bulldogs last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 7-2 in Bulldogs last 9 vs. Big Ten.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Bulldogs last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 8-3 in Bulldogs last 11 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.
- Over is 9-4 in Bulldogs last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 4-0 in Golden Gophers last 4 games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0 in Golden Gophers last 4 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 9-1 in Golden Gophers last 10 non-conference games.
- Over is 10-2-1 in Golden Gophers last 13 Monday games.
- Over is 17-4-1 in Golden Gophers last 22 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
- Over is 20-5-1 in Golden Gophers last 26 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Over is 20-6 in Golden Gophers last 26 overall.
- Over is 6-2 in Golden Gophers last 8 games following a straight up loss.
- Over is 39-18-1 in Golden Gophers last 58 home games.
