The 17th-ranked Miami Hurricanes could face a real test when they take on the rolling Drake Bulldogs in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Friday. The No. 12-seeded Bulldogs (27-7) have won 13 of their past 14 games. They avenged the only loss over that span by routing Bradley 77-51 in the Missouri Valley Conference final on March 5. The fifth-seeded Hurricanes (25-7) have won nine of their past 11, falling 85-78 to surging Duke in the ACC semifinals last Friday.

Tip-off is set for 7:25 p.m. ET at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The latest Drake vs. Miami odds from Caesars Sportsbook list the Hurricanes as 2-point favorites, and the over/under for total points scored is set at 146. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)

Before making any Miami vs. Drake picks or NCAA Tournament predictions, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed the model has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows the Hurricanes have faced much stiffer competition in the ACC and won the regular-season conference title. They also score almost 80 points per game and shoot 48.5% from the field, ranking in the top 25 in the nation in both categories. Miami has scored more than 80 points seven times in its past 11 games. Four players average at least 13 points, led by Isaiah Wong at 16.2. Miami reached the Elite Eight last year.

The model also has considered that the Bulldogs are a strong 3-point shooting team and have been building confidence on their recent run. The Miami defense suffers from putting the focus on the offensive end. The Hurricanes allow almost 72 points per game, and opponents shoot almost 45% from the field, bit worse than 230th in the nation. Drake's Tucker DeVries averages 19 points and 5.6 rebounds and shoots 38.7% from long range.

Now, the model has broken down the Drake vs. Miami matchup from every angle, and we can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total. It also says one side of the spread is hitting in almost 60% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model's simulations before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Drake vs. Miami in Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Miami vs. Drake spread you should be all over Friday, all from the model up almost $1,300 on college basketball picks this season!