Valparaiso Beacons vs Drake Bulldogs Prediction, 2/9/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Valparaiso Beacons vs Drake Bulldogs

Date: Monday, February 9, 2026

Location: Knapp Center in Des Moines, IA

TV: ESPN+

The Drake Bulldogs (12-12) are welcoming the Valparaiso Beacons (11-12) at Knapp Center on Monday.

The Valparaiso Beacons faced Bradley and took a loss by a final of 72-65 in their last game. Valparaiso wrapped up the contest having earned a 47.4% field goal percentage (27 out of 57) and buried 7 of 18 shots from 3-point land. From the free throw line, the Beacons buried 4 of 10 attempts for a percentage of 40.0%. With respect to grabbing rebounds, they earned 30 with 10 of them being offensive. They also doled out 9 dimes in the game as well as creating 10 turnovers and having 7 steals. Concerning defending, Valparaiso allowed 48.2% from the floor on 27 out of 56 shooting. Bradley totaled 9 assists and had 6 steals in the game. On top of that, Bradley pulled down 32 rebounds (8 offensive, 24 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Bradley ended up shooting 68.8% from the free throw line by burying 11 of their 16 attempts. They also converted 7 of their 21 tries from distance. With respect to fouls, the Beacons finished with 16 and Bradley had 13 fouls.

Justus McNair is a player who came through for the contest. He finished shooting 53.8% from the field and also recorded 1 assist. He was on the court for 29 mins and also collected 1 rebound. He notched 17 points on 7 out of 13 shooting.

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Valparaiso heads into this game with a win-loss mark of 11-12 on the campaign. They have an average of 71.1 pts per contest (299th in the country) on 41.5% from the field. The Beacons are hitting 32.3% on 3-pointers (159 of 493) and 71.1% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Valparaiso is collecting 36.7 boards per game and has accounted for 261 dimes for the campaign, which ranks 336th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession via turnover 10.7 times per game and as a group they are committing 18.3 fouls per game.

When they are on defense, the Beacons are forcing their opponents into 11.9 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 19.3 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 64th in the country in allowing assists to the opposition with 268 relinquished so far this year. The Beacons defense is allowing a FG percentage of 43.6% (564 of 1,294) and they surrender 35.9 rebounds per contest as a team. They surrender 31.1% on 3-point attempts and they rank 84th in the country in PPG allowed (70.3).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Drake Bulldogs walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 103-90 against Belmont. When discussing rebounds, Drake permitted Belmont to pull down 24 in total (7 offensive). They went 48.6% from beyond the arc via 17 out of 35 and ended up going 8 of 15 at the free throw line (53.3%). The Bulldogs permitted Belmont to make 39 of their 66 tries from the field which had them sitting at 59.1% in this matchup. In all, the Bulldogs went 32 for 60 from the field which had them at 53.3%. In regard to 3-point attempts, Drake converted 14 of their 28 attempts (50.0%). They were able to make 12 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 75.0%. Belmont committed 18 fouls in this contest which got the Bulldogs to the charity stripe for 16 attempts. They gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while recording 1 steal in this game. The Bulldogs earned 22 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 for the matchup.

Jalen Quinn pitched in for the Bulldogs in this matchup. He converted 8 out of 18 in this contest giving him a rate of 44.4%, and had 3 rebounds. He racked up 22 points in his 33 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 3 dimes in the matchup.

Drake has a record of 12-12 this year. The Bulldogs are committing 17.0 fouls per game and they hit 72.2% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 13.9 times per contest (193rd in college) and they lose possession via turnover 10.1 times per game. Drake has scored 1,865 pts this year (77.7 per contest) and they pull in 36.0 boards per contest. As an offense, the Bulldogs are hitting on 45.1% from the floor, which is 195th in college hoops.

The Bulldogs on defense are ranked 200th in college hoops in PPG given up with 74.3. They are forcing their opponents into 10.8 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.5% from the floor (157th in Division 1). The Drake defense gives up 35.6% on shots from beyond the perimeter (228 of 640) and their opponents are making 67.1% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 14.3 dimes and 36.0 boards per contest, which is ranked 255th and 271st in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Drake

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