UNI Panthers vs Drake Bulldogs Prediction, 3/1/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UNI Panthers vs Drake Bulldogs

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Location: Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA

TV: ESPN+

The UNI Panthers (18-12) are hitting the road to Knapp Center on Sunday where they will play the Drake Bulldogs (12-18).

The UNI Panthers faced off with Illinois State and took a loss by a score of 71-69 in their last game. UNI ended the contest with a 50.0% FG percentage (24 out of 48) and converted 9 out of their 16 shots from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, the Panthers converted 12 of 19 attempts for a percentage of 63.2%. In reference to getting rebounds, they compiled a total of 26 with 4 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 13 assists in this contest in addition to forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and getting 3 steals. In regard to the defense, UNI allowed their opponent to shoot 49.1% from the field on 26 out of 53 shooting. Illinois State dished out 7 dimes and had 4 steals in this game. Furthermore, Illinois State snagged 31 rebounds (7 offensive, 24 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Illinois State ended up shooting 81.8% from the free throw line by burying 9 of their 11 shots. They also knocked down 10 of their 27 shots from long range. With respect to fouls, the Panthers left the arena with 12 while Illinois State finished the game with 20 fouls.

Ben Schwieger is one guy who came through in the matchup. He ended up shooting 83.3% from the floor and totaled 1 assist. He was on the court for 37 minutes and snagged 3 boards. He notched 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting.

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UNI comes into this game with a win-loss record of 18-12 on the campaign. They are turning it over 9.3 times per contest and as a team they commit 14.9 fouls every game. As a team, UNI is pulling in 32.1 boards per game and is sitting with 434 dimes on the campaign, which is 112th in the country in terms of passing. The Panthers are shooting 34.7% on 3-pointers (230 of 663) and 69.6% from the free throw line. They average 69.1 points per contest (324th in D-1) while going 46.9% from the floor.

Defensively, the Panthers are forcing their opponents into 12.1 turnovers every game while drawing 14.3 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 28.4% on shots from distance and they are ranked 1st in Division 1 in PPG allowed (61.4). The Panthers are allowing an opponent FG percentage of 41.1% (664 of 1,614) and they concede 33.6 rebounds per game as a team. They are 38th in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 323 conceded for the year.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Drake Bulldogs walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 74-71 against Valparaiso. In the matter of rebounding, Drake allowed Valparaiso to get 26 in total (8 on the offensive side). They finished 42.9% from beyond the perimeter by going 12 of 28 and walked away from this one shooting 14 of 17 from the free throw line (82.4%). The Bulldogs permitted Valparaiso to knock down 24 out of their 54 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 44.4% for this game. When this game wrapped up, the Bulldogs went 27 for 56 from the field which gave them a percentage of 48.2%. In relation to shooting from beyond the arc, Drake converted 8 of their 22 tries (36.4%). They were able to bury 9 of those for a rate of 69.2%. Valparaiso had 12 personal fouls in this game which took the Bulldogs to the free throw line for a total of 13 shots. They turned it over 9 times, while earning 4 steals in this matchup. The Bulldogs were able to pull down 20 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive rebounds totaling 25 in the matchup.

Owen Larson ended up being a factor for the Bulldogs for the game. He made 7 of 13 in this contest giving him a field goal percentage of 53.8%, and had 2 rebounds. He earned 18 points in his 35 mins of playing time and had 3 assists for the matchup.

Drake has a mark of 12-18 on the season. When it comes to offensive execution, the Bulldogs are hitting on 44.7% from the floor, which is ranked 210th in college. Drake has accounted for 2,281 points on the year (76.0 per game) and they pull in 35.6 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 13.5 times per contest (219th in the country) and they are turning it over 10.2 times per game. The Bulldogs commit 17.1 fouls every game and they connect on 71.4% from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs on defense are ranked 226th in college in points allowed per game with 75.2. They have forced 10.6 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.0% from the field (177th in Division 1). The Drake defense surrenders 36.8% on shots from behind the 3-point line (292 of 793) and opponents are making 68.4% of their foul shots. They have given up 14.4 dimes and 36.3 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks them 268th and 295th in D-1.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UNI

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