The Drexel Dragons and La Salle Explorers kick off their season in this showdown, with both teams aiming to improve from last season. The Dragons are slightly favored to win, with a spread of -1.5 (-110).

The Dragons finished their previous season with a 73-68 defeat to the UNC Wilmington Seahawks in the CAA quarterfinals. They were unable to hold onto the lead after the half, which summed up their season perfectly.

They were 17-15 overall, with a 10-8 record in the CAA and finishing fifth in the conference. This is a solid goal to try and improve upon, especially since they were 15-14 in the year prior.

Their stats show why they had some struggles. On offense, they averaged 66.7 points per game and ranked 309^th in the nation. With a 102.2 efficiency rating here, they ranked 230^th for their efforts on offense.

They did a good job on defense, allowing teams to average 62.4 points per game and ranking 17^th in the league. Their defense efficiency rating was at 95.6, which ranked 35^th in the nation.

The Explorers had their season ended by the Fordham Rams in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals. This was a 69-61 outing, in which they had a slow first half that ultimately decided the outcome of the game.

While they had a losing record of 15-19, this was an improvement from a year ago at 11-19. They also went 7-11 in the A-10 conference, finishing 11^th overall.

They put up 69.8 points per game and ranked 216^th on offense. Their efficiency ranked 261^st with a rating of 100.9. This will need improvement if they want a shot at success.

The Explorers allowed teams to average 72.6 points per game, ranking 255^th in the nation. In addition, their efficiency on defense ranked 264^th, with a rating of 104.9. Hopefully they made adjustments from the year prior, otherwise they will be in the hole early on points.

MyBookie has this matchup slightly favoring the Drexel Dragons on the road. According to market insights, the Dragons have a 51.4 percent chance at victory.

Both teams had similar stats and records last year, which could point to a potential outcome. The Explorers had issues on defense, which will likely not change overnight.

The Dragons had a slight better point differential and looked appealing on defense. Look for them to win this matchup and cover the spread.