Jarrod Uthoff’s stellar play this season has been the main reason why the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes are one of the best teams in the country right now. He’ll look to continue proving just that when they go on the road to face the Penn State Nittany Lions tonight.
This will be the second time that both teams will collide this season, and it was Uthoff and co. who emerged victorious in their first meeting. Will that be the case again? Or will Penn State give Iowa a taste of its own medicine?
Read on further for a full breakdown of this Big Ten matchup. And if you’re craving for some more college basketball action, you can check out our preview of the Syracuse Orange vs. No. 18 Louisville Cardinals.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Preview
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pennsylvania
When: Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 6:30 PM ET
Line: Iowa Hawkeyes (-10.5) at Penn State Nittany Lions (+10.5)– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: BTN
Betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes (20-5, 11-2 Big Ten)
Needless to say, the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes are going to rely on Uthoff to put the team on his shoulders once again. He’s been playing exceptionally well all year long, averaging team-bests of 18.8 PPG and 3.0 BPG while also grabbing 6.7 RPG. Uthoff should be able to impose his will versus a Penn State defense that’s giving up 68.9 points this season.
Meanwhile, it’ll be worth keeping a close watch on the pair of Peter Jok and Anthony Clemmons as well. Jok, in particular, will be looking to pick up from where he left off during Sunday’s win over Minnesota, wherein he posted 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He’s also tallying 20.0 PPG in his last five outings.
Iowa is 5-5 SU and ATS in its past 10 road games.
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Betting on the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-13, 3-9 Big Ten)
It’s back to the drawing board again for the Penn State Nittany Lions. They couldn’t capitalize on their 68-63 win over Indiana, as they were quickly sent back down to earth on Saturday night against Nebraska, 70-54. Andrew White’s 35-point outburst proved to be just too much to overcome for the Nittany Lions, who have now lost five of their last six games.
Moving forward, Penn State sets its sights on getting back on track when they play host to the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes later. That’ll be easier said than done, but the Nittany Lions will look to the pair of Brandon Taylor and Shep Garner to help them keep up with their conference rivals.
Taylor, their senior forward, has been the team’s focal point on offense this season. He’s averaging 16.5 PPG and 6.1 APG while shooting 44.4 percent from the field. However, Taylor remains to be quite careless with the basketball as he’s averaging 2.4 turnovers per game.
Garner, meanwhile, has made some noise of his own as well. He’s second in the team in scoring with 13.3 PPG and is contributing 3.3 RPG and 3.1 APG. Garner has also scored in double figures twice over his past four contests, including a 22-point performance versus Michigan on January 30.
On defense, the onus falls on everyone to provide a collective effort in disrupting the likes of Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok from finding their groove. The Nittany Lions are surrendering more than 70 points in their previous 10 matches.
Penn State is 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in its last five games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
Iowa (-10.5) wins by 15-plus points.
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