The Iowa Hawkeyes (15-11) travel to face off against the Michigan State Spartans (17-9) on Tuesday, February 20th. This game will be played at Breslin Center in East Lansing and televised on PEAC. Michigan State is coming off a win in their previous game, while Iowa is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Maryland. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan State Spartans
The Iowa Hawkeyes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Through 26 games, Iowa has a 15-11 record, including a 6-8 mark in Big Ten play. On the road, the Hawkeyes have struggled, going just 2-7 this season. Their average scoring margin on the road is -8.0 points per game, and they have lost three straight games away from home.
As the underdog, Iowa is just 2-8 this season, and they are currently a 10-point underdog against Michigan State. The Hawkeyes have been the underdog in 10 games this season, compared to 15 games as the favorite.
As the underdog this season, Iowa has an ATS record of just 3-7. On the road, their ATS mark is 3-6, and they have gone 0-3 vs. the spread in their last 3 road games. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Hawkeyes are just 3-7.
So far this season, the over/under record for Iowa games is 16-9. The average over/under line in their games is 160.1 and their games have had an average of 161.5 points. Today’s over/under line of 154 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this season. Over their last three games, their games have had an average of 164 points.
The Michigan State Spartans Are Coming Off A Win
Michigan State will look to extend their three-game win streak when they take on Iowa. So far this season, the Spartans have gone 17-9, including a 9-6 record in Big Ten play. At home, Michigan State has been dominant, going 14-4 with an average scoring margin of +14.8 points per game.
Coming into this game, the Spartans are favored by 10 points. On the year, they have been favored in 20 games, going 15-5 in those matchups. In their last game, Michigan State defeated Michigan by a score of 73-63. Over their last 10 games at home, the Spartans have gone a perfect 10-0.
Michigan State has been a solid team vs. the spread this season, going 16-10 overall. At home, they have an ATS record of 12-6 and are 9-1 in their last 10 home games. As the favorite, the Spartans are 13-7 vs. the spread this year and have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games as the favorite.
So far this season, the over/under record for Michigan State games is 12-14. Today’s over/under line of 154 is higher than the average OU line in their games this year (141.7). Across their last three games, the average scoring total is 151 points, and their OU record over their last 10 games is 4-6.
Iowa Offense Breakdown
Most recently, the Iowa offense finished with just 66 points vs. Maryland. For the game, they hit 6/22 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 40.6%. The team’s top scorer is Tony Perkins, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 15.5, while Payton Sandfort also maintains a PPG average of 15.2 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Perkins (G) | 15.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Payton Sandfort (F) | 15.2 | 6.4 | 2.5 |
| Ben Krikke (F) | 14.1 | 4.6 | 1.5 |
Michigan State Offense Breakdown
The Spartans’ offense finished with 73 points in their previous game, mirroring their current average of 75.2 points per contest. Tyson Walker is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 18.4 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Malik Hall brings a PPG average of 12.7 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Walker (G) | 18.4 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Malik Hall (F) | 12.7 | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| Jaden Akins (G) | 11.2 | 3.8 | 1.2 |
Iowa Team Defense
Facing Michigan State, Iowa aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 78.3 points allowed per game (308th). Iowa’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Maryland offense to knock down 48% of their shots on their way to putting up 78 points.
Michigan State Team Defense
At this time, the Spartans’ defense is positioned 38th in the country, permitting 65.8 points per game. The Michigan State defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 63 points and allowed Michigan to connect on 7 threes.
Hawkeyes vs Spartans Trends
- In their last three games away from home, the Hawkeyes have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 0-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 71 points per game in this stretch.
- Michigan State has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 67 points per game while allowing 66. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
- Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Iowa has an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
- The last ten games that Michigan State was favored, they have an ATS mark of 7-3 while going 8-2 straight up.
Hawkeyes vs Spartans Prediction
For a point-spread bet in this Spartans vs. Spartans matchup, we’re leaning towards the Spartans at -10. Although our projections show the Spartans winning 75-69, we suggest placing your bet on the Hawkeyes for the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 154, and our model projects the Hawkeyes and Spartans to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 20, 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans