The Iowa Hawkeyes (17-12) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (20-8) on Saturday, March 2nd. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on BTN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 5:30 ET.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Iowa Hawkeyes Are Coming Off A Win
Despite being the underdog, Iowa has been the favorite in 17 of their 29 games this season. The Hawkeyes are 14-3 in those games, and they are 3-9 when they are the underdog.
On the road, Iowa has struggled this season. They are just 3-8 away from home, and their average scoring margin is -6.8 points per game. Over their last 10 road games, the Hawkeyes are 3-7.
As the underdog, Iowa has gone just 4-8 against the spread this season. On the road, the Hawkeyes have an ATS mark of just 4-7 and they have gone just 3-7 vs. the spread in their last 10 road games. Overall, Iowa’s ATS record for the year is 11-17-1.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Iowa’s games this season (159.9). So far, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 166 points.
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern is 16-1 at home this season, and they have won their last nine games at home. Overall, they have won three straight games and have a record of 20-8. For the season, they are 15-2 when favored, and they are favored by three points today.
Last time out, the Wildcats beat Maryland by a score of 68-61. Over their last 10 games at home, Northwestern has gone 9-1, and they are 5-0 in their last five home games.
As the favorite this season, Northwestern has gone 8-7-2 against the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 10-6-1 and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 5-4-1.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Northwestern’s games this season (137). So far, 22 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 138 points.
Iowa Offense Breakdown
Iowa’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 90 points vs. Penn State. Overall, they hit 47.2% of their shots from the field and went 32/37 from the free-throw line. One area that the Iowa offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 89th in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 47%.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Sandfort (F) | 15.7 | 6.6 | 2.7 |
| Tony Perkins (G) | 15.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Ben Krikke (F) | 14.0 | 4.9 | 1.4 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
In contrast to their season average of 74.2 points per game, the Northwestern had a below average performance. They scored 68 points against Maryland and had a field goal percentage of 46.3%. Boo Buie is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 18.6 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Brooks Barnhizer brings a PPG average of 14.2 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.6 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.2 | 7.1 | 2.6 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
Iowa Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Iowa defense is giving up an average of 78.8 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Northwestern, the Iowa defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Iowa made 32 free-throws vs. the Hawkeyes.
Northwestern Team Defense
The Wildcats’ defense is presently ranked 91st nationally, allowing an average of 69.0 points per contest. Northwestern’s three-point defense is currently 120th in the country at 6.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 45.0% of their shots vs. Northwestern.
Hawkeyes vs Wildcats Trends
- In their last ten games away from home, the Hawkeyes have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 75 points per game in this stretch.
- The Wildcats are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
- As the betting underdog, the Hawkeyes have an ATS mark of just 3-7 in their last ten games. Iowa posted a straight up mark of 3-7 in these matchups.
- In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.
Hawkeyes vs Wildcats Prediction
The Wildcats is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 75-68. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Wildcats at -3.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 154.5 and given that our model is projecting 143 points between the teams, we like 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:March 2, 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats