The La Salle Explorers will host the Drexel Dragons to start their respective college basketball seasons on Tuesday night. The two schools are separated by less than 10 miles in a Philadelphia non-conference rivalry. Drexel defeated La Salle, 65-58, last season as the two schools have split their previous six matchups.
Tipoff from Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The Dragons are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Drexel vs. La Salle odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 133.5. Before making any La Salle vs. Drexel picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It went 85-55 on all top-rated college basketball picks last season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Drexel vs. La Salle and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting trends for La Salle vs. Drexel:
- La Salle vs. Drexel spread: Dragons -2.5
- La Salle vs. Drexel over/under: 133.5 points
- La Salle vs. Drexel money line: Dragons -146, Exploers +123
- LAS: La Salle is 5-5 against unranked teams over the last two seasons
- DREX: Drexel is 2-0 in its last two season openers
- La Salle vs. Drexel picks: See picks at SportsLine.
Why Drexel can cover
The Dragons return their leading scorer in Amari Williams. The senior from England averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season, including 14 points and 11 rebounds against La Salle last year. Drexel returns five of its six top scorers from 2022-23, and that experience and chemistry could be crucial, especially early in the season.
Drexel's lineup features four guards who played significant minutes last year, which could be challenging for La Salle to contain on Tuesday. Senior Luke House shot 38% on 3-pointers over 27.9 minutes per game a year ago, and senior Yame Butler shot 45.2% from deep over 14.9 minutes per game. Both could have expanded roles, and if they get hot from deep on Tuesday, watch out for Drexel.
Why La Salle can cover
Khalil Brantley was one of the most dominant players on the court last season for the Explorers, despite only being a sophomore. He led the team in points (14.3), assists (4.1) and steals (1.6) while ranking second in rebounds (4.8). Brantley had at least 20 points in four games and averaged 20 points over his final two games as he could emerge as a game-changing guard in his junior season.
Jhamir Brickus, a 5-foot-11 guard, averaged 9.8 points per game while shooting 38.2% percent on 3-pointers. He could take on a larger role this year and showed flashes of brilliance, including scoring at least 23 points in three games last season. These two could be too much for Drexel to contain in the season opener.
How to make Drexel vs. La Salle picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 138 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins La Salle vs. Drexel, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that went 85-55 on its top-ranked college basketball picks last season, and find out.
