Indiana Hoosiers at Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview
Thursday night features a Big Ten showdown as the Indiana Hoosiers (8-6) take on the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes (12-2). Iowa will host this one from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 9 pm ET.
The Hoosiers come into this at 8-6 overall, but they are just 3-4 in the Big Ten. Currently sitting in eighth in the conference, they would love to knock off the powerhouse Hawkeyes, especially doing it on the road. They come into this one 2-2 in their last four, including an 81-69 loss to Purdue on Thursday.
Iowa comes in No. 4 in the country and second in the Big Ten, trailing top-seeded Michigan by just one in the win column. They come in on a five-game winning streak. One key for Iowa is not to look past Indiana ahead of back-to-back tough matchups with No. 22 Illinois and No. 15 Ohio State.
Iowa is the overwhelming favorite playing at home. They are -720 to win while the Hoosiers’ moneyline sits at +520. The spread features Indiana +10.5 while the over/under for total points is 151.5.
By The Numbers
Offensively, Iowa is the second-best team in the nation in terms of scoring. They are currently averaging 92.2 points per game. For Indiana, they rank 133rd averaging 72.6 points per game.
Defensively, it is Indiana who has the upper hand. They currently rank 93rd in scoring defense, allowing 67.6 points per game (although they have allowed an average of 79 over their last three). Iowa falls to 234th, allowing 73.2 points per game.
Hoosiers Looking For Signature Win On The Road
Indiana knows if they have any chance to make the NCAA tournament or make noise in the Big Ten, things have to change in a hurry. Unfortunately, they get into the toughest part of their conference schedule, starting with the No. 4 Hawkeyes.
Leading the way for Indiana this season has been sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. He is averaging 20.4 points on 53.5% shooting from the field. He is also chipping in 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game.
The Hoosiers have two others averaging double digits in guards Armaan Franklin and Al Durham. Franklin is averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while Durham is averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
Hawkeyes Look To Continue Home Dominance
Iowa has been one of the most lethal offensive teams in all college basketball this season, and they are even scarier at home. To date, the Hawkeyes are a perfect 9-0 when playing at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will look to keep it going Thursday.
On the floor, they are led by last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, Luka Garza. With the way he has been playing, there is a good chance he will win it again this year.
He leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. He is averaging 26.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. He is also shooting a whopping 62.5% from the field and 47.9% from behind the arc.
One of the biggest keys for the Hawkeyes is their sharpshooters when defenses focus on Garza. Enter Joe Wieskamp and Jordan Bohannon. This season, Wieskamp has averaged 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, while Bohannon has averaged 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.
Iowa Continues Dominance
While I thoroughly expect the Hawkeyes to win this game, the Hoosiers are a hard team to discount. They have been littered with inconsistent play, but when on, they can compete with the best of them. Recently, against No. 10 Wisconsin, they lost by seven, but that was after forcing two overtimes.
Still, Iowa has played well lately, winning five games in a row by an average of just over 15 points. I don’t know if Indiana has an answer for Garza or Iowa’s sharpshooters.
While Indiana has the potential to make it a game, I still like Iowa to win and cover the 10.5-point spread.
