Iowa at Rutgers - 1/8/23 College Basketball Picks and Prediction

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-4) vs Iowa Hawkeyes (9-6)

Game Info: Sunday, January 8, 2023 at 12:00 pm (Jersey Mike's Arena)

Betting Odds: Rutgers Scarlet Knights -8 -- Over/Under: 141 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Iowa Hawkeyes will head to New Jersey and take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Big Ten action from the RAC. Iowa leads the all-time series 9-3 after winning four of the last five meetings.

Iowa improved to 9-6 after beating Indiana at home. The Hawkeyes got a much-needed win over the Hoosiers, rallying from a 10-point halftime to come away with a 91-89 victory. Iowa is scoring 81.7 points per game, while allowing 72.5 ppg, and shooting 44.8% from the field.

Iowa finally stopped the bleeding and ended a three-game skid on Thursday. Kris Murray’s return couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes. The 6’9 forward went for 32 against Penn State, then followed it up with a 30-point double-double in the win over Indiana. Murray leads the Hawkeyes in scoring (21.3) and rebounding (9.8), while his front court mate Filip Rebraca is second on the team in both with 14.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg. 

Rutgers improved to 11-4 after beating Maryland at home.  The Scarlet Knights put on another defensive clinic, holding the Terps to 17 first half points, and coming away with the 14-point win. Rutgers is scoring 71.9 points per game, while allowing 54.9 ppg and shooting 44.3% from the floor.

Rutgers is up there with the Houston’s and Virginia’s of the world, and they represent one of the best defenses in the nation. Clifford Omoruyi controls the game from the inside. The 6 '11 center affects both sides of the ball, and after a pair of big double-doubles to close 2022, he leads Rutgers in scoring (14.2) and rebounding (10.1). Cam Spencer has meshed in nicely after coming over from Loyola (MD), and he’s second on the team in scoring at 12.9 ppg. Veteran guards Caleb McConnell (10.1, 5.3 rpg) and Paul Mulcahy (8.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg) each bring over 100 games of experience to the lineup.

Iowa is 8-7 against the spread this season, with a 8-7 over/under record. Rutgers is 11-4 ATS this year, with a 6-9 o/u record.

This Big Ten matchup will present an interesting clash of styles. Rutgers has won five straight games behind one of best defenses in the country, while Iowa leans on their offensive firepower and its delivered mixed results. The Scarlet Knights carry a lot of positive momentum into this contest, and there’s a good chance they beat the Hawkeyes here at home. Rutgers should control the pace of this game, and with the total sitting a bit high due to Iowa’s offensive prowess, the under is in play here. I see Rutgers winning their sixth straight game here behind another strong defensive effort, so take the under for this Big Ten battle. 

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

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