The Northwestern Wildcats (17-8) travel to face off against the Indiana Hoosiers (14-10) on Sunday, February 18th. This game will be played at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington and televised on FS1. Both Northwestern and Indiana will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 ET.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Indiana Hoosiers
The Northwestern Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Northwestern enters this game as a 1.5-point underdog. So far this season, they have been the underdog in 9 of their 25 games, going 3-6 in those contests. Their average scoring margin on the road this year is -6.7 points per game.
Coming off a 63-60 loss to Rutgers, the Wildcats have lost five straight games on the road. Their record in road games this season is 2-7. Overall, Northwestern is 17-8, including an 8-6 mark in Big Ten play.
Northwestern’s ATS record this season is 12-11-2, but they have gone 5-4 vs. the spread as the underdog. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Wildcats are 6-4 ATS. On the road this season, Northwestern is 3-5-1 vs. the spread and they have gone 4-5-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Today’s over/under line of 137.5 is similar to the average over/under line in Northwestern’s games this year (137.2). So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 133 points compared to their season average of 143.8 points per game.
The Indiana Hoosiers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Indiana is 11-1 when they are the favorite this season, and they are favored by 1.5 points at home against Northwestern. The Hoosiers have gone 6-4 in their last 10 home games, and they are 11-4 at home this season. Over their last five games at home, they have gone 3-2.
Indiana is 14-10 overall, and they have gone 6-7 in Big Ten play. Their average scoring margin at home is +2.4 points per game, and they have gone 3-6 on the road this season.
Indiana has an ATS record of 8-7 at home this season and they are 6-5-1 vs. the spread as the favorite this year. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Hoosiers have gone 6-3-1.
Indiana’s over/under record this season is 12-12 and the average scoring total in their games is 147.4 points, which is higher than the average over/under line of 145.9. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 147 points.
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
Against Rutgers, the Northwestern had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 74.3 points per game. They scored 60 points and posted a field goal percentage of 36% in the game. Leading Northwestern in scoring vs. Rutgers was Boo Buie with his 27 points. Brooks Barnhizer also added 11 points for the Wildcats.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 19.2 | 3.6 | 5.2 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.3 | 7.0 | 2.8 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 11.6 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
Indiana Offense Breakdown
The Indiana offense is coming off a game in which they scored 59 points vs. Purdue. Overall their field goal percentage was 41.8% while connecting on 4 threes. Leading Indiana in scoring vs. Purdue was CJ Gunn with his 13 points. Mackenzie Mgbako also added 12 points for the Hoosiers.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Reneau (F) | 16.0 | 6.1 | 2.6 |
| Kel’el Ware (C) | 14.6 | 9.0 | 1.7 |
| Trey Galloway (G) | 11.1 | 2.6 | 4.0 |
Northwestern Team Defense
So far, the Wildcats’ defense is ranked 104th in the country at 69.5 points per contest. Against Rutgers in their most recent game, the Northwestern defense gave up a total of 63 points while allowing Rutgers to hit 39% of their shots.
Indiana Team Defense
So far, the Hoosiers’ defense is ranked 228th in the country at 74.4 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 8.4 threes per game vs. Northwestern. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 33.2%.
Wildcats vs Hoosiers Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Northwestern has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 70 per game. The team went 0-5 overall in these games.
- Indiana has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 65 points per game while allowing 74. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Wildcats have a strong record vs the spread going 3-0. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-2.
- Indiana has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
Wildcats vs Hoosiers Prediction
Not only do we have the Hoosiers winning this one by a score of 76-68, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Hoosiers at -1.5.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 137.5, and our model projects the Wildcats and Hoosiers to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
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 18, 2024 Indiana Hoosiers, Northwestern Wildcats