On the whole, the Iowa Hawkeyes have excellent prospects for the NCAA Tournament. Iowa rates a 90% chance per most bracketology guides to get their ticket punched. But Iowa’s prospects to advance in the Big Dance are considered dubious at best. Of great concern is that head coach Fran McCaffery has never taken Iowa past the round of 32. And that was also the case in his tenures at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, and Siena. The College Basketball lines problem that plagues Iowa is its inability to put a consistent defense on the hardwood.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Thursday, February 16, 2023, 9 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iow |
| TV Coverage: | BTN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | +7½ (-110) | 152½ (-110) | +270 |  |
| Iowa | 152½ (-110) | -330 | ||
| ||||
Ohio State at Iowa SBG Odds Overview
Ohio State will be a decided underdog against Iowa. And with plenty of good online betting reason. Ohio State has lost 11 of its last 12 games straight up. And their performances are getting uglier by the game. Sunday’s 62-41 loss to the Michigan State Spartans was stunning for its lack of competitiveness. Ohio State was out of the game early and showed little fight. Thus, gamblers will avoid the Buckeyes in a road situation. As was previously noted, Iowa is an exciting run-and-gun program. But it takes too many possessions off at the back end.
Ohio State Buckeyes Team Overview
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 11-14 straight up, 8-17 against the spread, and 13-12 over/under the total. Overall, Ohio State has national metrics of 143rd for scoring offense, 125th for field goal percentage, 107th for 3-point field goal percentage, 159th for free throw percentage, and 32nd for offensive rebounding. While on defense, they are 120th for scoring defense, 80th for field goal percentage permitted, 49th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 160th for defensive rebounding.
Ohio State covered only one of its previous ten games. Brice Sensabaugh leads Ohio State with 16.4 points per game. Additionally, Zed Key adds 7.8 rebounds per contest.
Iowa Hawkeyes Team Overview
In sum, the Iowa Hawkeyes are 16-9 straight up, 14-11 against the spread, and 15-10 over/under the total. Iowa has national metrics of 22nd for scoring offense, 139th for field goal percentage, 142nd for 3-point field goal percentage, 74th for free throw percentage, and 59th for offensive rebounding. While on defense, Iowa is 285th for scoring defense, 316th for field goal percentage permitted, 228th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 295th for defensive rebounding.
Late on, Iowa failed to cover its previous three games. The Hawkeyes went over the total in four of their previous five outings. Kris Murray leads Iowa with 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. Fran McCaffery has produced a consistent product at Iowa. Yet the same problem is that it has yet to learn how to play defense consistently. And that continues to plague the team year after year. More than a decade into his tenure in Iowa City, McCaffery hasn’t made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. While there’s potential with his team once again, the result will likely be the same.
Ohio State at Iowa SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Ohio State’s poor play with the College basketball lines can’t be ignored.
Ohio State at Iowa SBG Best Bet: Iowa Hawkeyes.