An intriguing battle between the No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers is about to happen this Thursday down in Madison. Check out our preview of this game featuring ranked teams who are near-locks to make it to the Big Dance in March.
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Betting Preview for the Iowa Hawkeyes vs Wisconsin Badgers NCAA College Basketball Game on February 18 2021
Where: Kohl Center, Madison, WI
When: Thursday, February 18, 2021, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Iowa Hawkeyes (odds) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN 3
Betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes (odds)
Record: 15-6 Overall / 9-5 Conference
Iowa seems to have regained its footing. After losses to the Ohio State Buckeyes adn the Indiana Hoosiers in back-to-back fashion, the Hawkeyes have finally gotten control of the wheel, as they defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Feb. 10 (79-66) and the Michigan State Spartans (88-58) on Feb. 13. The Hawkeyes scorched hot from deep in those wins, shooting 11 of 23 from behind the arc against Rutgers and going 13 of 25 from long range in the Michigan State game. Iowa’s offense has often delivered for the team, which is why it’s second overall in the nation with an average of 87.4 points per game to go with a 55.4 effective field goal percentage –20th-best overall. Moreover, Iowa owns the best adjusted offensive efficiency rating (127.6) in Division I basketball.
The under is 3-2 in Iowa’s last five games on the road.
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers (odds)
Record: 15-7 Overall / 9-6 Conference
Wisconsin faltered in its last game and lost to the Michigan Wolverines at home on Valentine’s day, 67-59. The Badgers’ defense could not sustain its effectiveness for the entire game against Michigan, which went from scoring just 27 points in the first half to 40 in the second half. The Badgers are going to try their luck again this Thursday against the high-scoring Hawkeyes team which Wisconsin will look to cap its scoring by slowing down the game’s pace. Wisconsin is 319th in the nation in terms of adjusted tempo with just 65.1 possessions per 40 minutes. Wisconsin is holding opposing teams to just 0.989 points per possession and just 6.2 3-pointers per game. If Wisconsin will be able to take away Iowa’s rhythm from behind the arc, the Badgers are going to be in a great position to get a win this Thursday at home.
Wisconsin, which is 19th in the nation with 62.6 points allowed per game, is 5-5 against the spread in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Iowa wins, 73-70.
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