Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview

There is still much to be decided in the Big Ten as the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes visit the No. 24 Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday night. At home, Michigan State is a seven-point favorite with an over/under of 152 points.
The Spartans have had a shaky February up to this point, losing four of their last six games. However, Tom Izzo’s crew has won two of three, including a blowout win over Nebraska last time out.
Despite those struggles, the Spartans are just two games off the pace in the Big Ten, keeping them in position to win the Big Ten regular-season title or at least get a double-bye in the conference tournament. However, Tuesday’s game kicks off a stretch of four in a row against ranked teams to end the season.
Iowa, meanwhile, is in the exact same position. They are tied with Michigan State at 10-6 inside the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have a chance to overtake Maryland at the top of the standings, but they’ll surely settle for finishing in the top four and getting a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
Iowa has also won three of its last four games as the Hawkeyes look to build some momentum heading into March.
Share the Wealth
One of Iowa’s biggest strengths this season is their willingness to share the basketball. The Hawkeyes average over 17 assists per game, which is among the best in the nation. Oddly enough, nobody on the roster averages more than 3.8 assists per game. It’s a true team effort to share the ball and look for the open man.
Of course, it helps to have a wealth of scoring options. It starts with center Luka Garza, who is a national Player of the Year candidate by averaging over 23 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.
But Joe Wieskamp and CJ Fredrick also average double figures every time out and shoot a high percentage from the perimeter. As a team, the Hawkeyes shoot better than 35% from three-point range, allowing them to balance out the threat that Garza provides in the paint.
Cass Money
Michigan State is actually one of the few teams that averages more assists per game than Iowa, largely because of the play of point guard Cassius Winston, who dishes out nearly six assists per game.
Winston is also MSU’s leading scorer at over 18 points per game and the engine that makes the Spartans run. When he’s at the top of his game, Michigan State can beat just about any team in the country.
The Spartans also have a formidable frontcourt that’s led by Xavier Tillman, who averages over 10 rebounds and two blocks per game, in addition to being the team’s second-leading scorer.
Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown are also consistent frontcourt players, which is why the Spartans are one of the best rebounding teams in the Big Ten and may have an answer for Garza in the paint.
No Comfortable Wins
Michigan State hasn’t earned too many wins against the top teams in the Big Ten this season. They’ve also lost their last two home games and can be overly reliant on Winston at times. That doesn’t add up to a 7-point favorite.
Bet on Iowa against the spread during Tuesday’s Big Ten showdown.