Drake vs. Southern Illinois prediction: Southern Illinois favored to win men's college basketball matchup [3/5/2026]

Southern Illinois will face Drake in men's college basketball action at Enterprise Center on Thursday, beginning at 4:30 PM ET.

Based on updated simulation results, Dimers' proven college basketball model predicts Southern Illinois as the most likely winner of the Drake vs. Southern Illinois game.

This article offers a closer look at Thursday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and picks.

Drake vs. Southern Illinois prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using innovative machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the outcome of Thursday's NCAA basketball matchup between Drake and Southern Illinois 10,000 times as part of our men's college basketball predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model gives Southern Illinois a 65% chance of defeating Drake. Our predicted final score has Southern Illinois winning 72-68.

According to our model, Drake (+4.5) has a 55% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 140.5 points has a 54% chance of going over.

Drake vs. Southern Illinois odds

We have sourced the best men's college basketball odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Drake	Southern Illinois
Spread	+4.5 (-102)	-4.5 (-110)
Moneyline	+185	-196
Total	o140.5 (-115)	u140.5 (-105)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Drake vs. Southern Illinois picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Spread	Drake +4.5	-102
Moneyline	Drake	+185
Total	Over 140.5	-115

According to our men's college basketball best bets, the top play to make on this game is Drake +4.5 at the spread.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Drake vs. Southern Illinois game-day updates and essential details

Thursday's men's college basketball action between Southern Illinois and Drake at Enterprise Center is scheduled to start at 4:30 PM ET.

• Who: Drake vs. Southern Illinois
• Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
• Time: 4:30 PM ET/1:30PM PT
• Venue: Enterprise Center

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Conclusion

We predict Southern Illinois, with a 65% win probability, will likely beat Drake on Thursday.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Drake vs. Southern Illinois insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are drawn from the latest data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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