The No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes suffered their first Big Ten loss on Thursday night, losing 74-68 to No. 8 Maryland. But a loss may even be beneficial for the Hawkeyes, considering the pressure of maintaining a conference win streak is now long gone. They could rebound nicely against a lackluster Northwestern team, losers of four straight games.
Will the Hawkeyes show some renewed energy in a beat down? Or will Northwestern claw their way to a big upset victory? Read on as we take a look at this B1G showdown. Get some more college ball with our complete previews for Maryland vs. Ohio State and Villanova vs. St. John’s.
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Northwestern Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Preview
Where: Carver-Hawkeyes Arena, Iowa City
When: Sunday, January 31, 3:00 PM ET
Line: Northwestern Wildcats at Iowa Hawkeyes – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: Big Ten Network
Betting on the Northwestern Wildcats (15-7)
The Northwestern Wildcats have it tough. They’re capping their first stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents since 1989-90. Most recently, they were dominated 76-45 in a home loss to No. 12 Michigan State. The Wildcats shot just 20.7 percent from the field, their worst mark since hitting just 17.9 percent against the Spartans on January 2000.
The Wildcats were in trouble considering their top scorers were ice cold on the floor. Bryant McIntosh (15 points per game) went 4 of 15 from the floor. Tre Demps (13.7) missed all seven of his three-point attempts and was 2 of 14 overall. Center Alex Olah (11.3) missed all six field goals he attempted.
Northwestern isn’t a very deep team. Aside from McIntosh, Demps and Olah, no other Wildcat is averaging in double digits this season. It won’t get any easier against Iowa, who own one of the best defenses in the nation allowing just 68.3 points per game.
While they face Iowa’s tough defense, the Wildcats could still limit their opponents’ own scoring. They’re allowing just 66 points per game this season, 49th in the nation. If Northwestern struggles to score, they can at least limit Iowa’s offense to keep the game close.
The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last five games on the road.
Betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes (16-4)
The Iowa Hawkeyes won their first seven Big Ten games for the first time since the 1969-70 season until they lost 74-68 at Maryland on Thursday. Jarrod Uthoff, who leads the conference in scoring (18.4 points per game) and blocks (2.85 per game), went just 2 of 13 from the floor against Maryland. He finished with a season-low nine points.
Iowa went just 5 of 24 from three-point range against Maryland, a surprising result considering they rank 18th in the nation with a 40 percent three-point percentage. If the Hawkeyes are to rebound against Northwestern, then they’ll need their sharpshooters to step up.
Uthoff is due for a bounce back game after missing all three of his three-point attempts against Maryland. He leads all starters with a 46.7 percent three-point percentage. He’s 8 of 13 from downtown in his last three games at home.
Peter Jok and Mike Gesell could also light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc. Jok is making 50 percent of his three-pointers in his last five games. Meanwhile, Gesell is 4 of 7 from downtown in his last six games at home.
Lighting up the scoreboard with three-pointers could help Iowa build a big lead against Northwestern. The Wildcats could not stop the Spartans from raining threes as they allowed their opponents to make 61.5 percent from beyond the arc in Thursday’s loss.
The Hawkeyes have won their last seven at home, going 5-2 ATS.
Writer’s Prediction
The Hawkeyes blow out Northwestern.
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