Iowa Hawkeyes (19-7) vs Wisconsin Badgers (16-10)
Game Info: Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 12:30 pm (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
Betting Odds: Iowa Hawkeyes -5 -- Over/Under: 144 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 25th ranked Wisconsin Badgers will travel to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on the 5th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes this Sunday afternoon in College Basketball action.
The 25th ranked Wisconsin Badgers lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 16-10 on the season after being defeating the 23rd ranked Purdue Boilermakers, 73-69, this past Tuesday. Wisconsin struggled on the offensive end against the Purdue defense and could not fight back after back-to-back buckets by the Boilermakers gave Purdue a 69-64 lead with just :42 seconds left in regulation. Wisconsin shot just 40.4% from the field and 24.1% from beyond the arc while Purdue shot 48.0% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc. Wisconsin won the turnover battle by a 10-6 margin, however, was outrebounded by Purdue by a 37-27 margin in the loss. Leading the way for the Badgers was Brad Davison who had 15 points, 3 rebounds, & 3 assists.
On the season, Wisconsin is averaging 69.8 ppg on 41.7% shooting from the field. The Badgers are averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game on 35.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Wisconsin has been led by D’Mitrik Trice (14.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.0 spg), Micah Potter (12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.3 apg), Brad Davison (9.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg), & Aleem Ford (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 apg).
Defensively, Wisconsin is holding their opponents to an average of 63.5 ppg on 41.7% shooting from the field. The Badgers have a rebound margin of -1.1 and a turnover margin of 3.2.
The 5th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes won their 2nd straight game and improved to 19-7 on the season after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 102-64, this past Thursday night. Iowa was lights out on the offensively end against Nebraska and had no trouble securing the victory after going into halftime with a 48-26 lead. Iowa shot 51.4% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc while Nebraska shot just 33.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Iowa outrebounded Nebraska by a 45-38 margin and won the turnover battle by a 20-8 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Hawkeyes was Jordan Bohannon who had 26 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, & 1 steal.
On the season, Iowa is averaging 85.3 ppg on 47.3% shooting from the field. The Hawkeyes are averaging 10.2 three-pointers per game on 39.9% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Iowa has been led by Luka Garza (23.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.6 bpg), Joe Wieskamp (15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg), Jordan Bohannon (10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.3 apg), & CJ Fredrick (8.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 2.2 apg).
Defensively, Iowa is allowing their opponents to average 72.1 ppg on 41.0% shooting from the field. The Hawkeyes have a rebound margin of 3.3 and a turnover margin of 2.4.
The Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. The Hawkeyes are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 Sunday games and 21-6-2 ATS in their last 29 home games.
Iowa can be a tough team to trust sometimes, especially as their defense is ranked just 225th in scoring defense, however, there is no doubting that the Hawkeyes are a tough team at home where they have posted a 13-2 record this season. Wisconsin came into this season with high expectations, however, the Badgers have lost 4 of their last 5 games and have really struggled on the offensive end this season, ranking just 213th in scoring offense & 271st in FG%. Wisconsin is just 5-5 on the road this season with a 23-point loss at Michigan and between the fact that the Iowa defense has been playing better as of late and that the Hawkeyes looked impressive in their recent victory at Ohio State, I am taking Iowa to cover this mid-range home spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Iowa Hawkeyes -5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05