Iowa vs Penn State Prediction 2/28/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet Saturday in college basketball action from Bryce Jordan Center. Here’s an Iowa vs Penn State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Iowa vs Penn State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview

Iowa only lost two of their first 14 games this year on a 12-2 opening run, then fell versus Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue. After wins over Indiana, Rutgers, USC, Oregon, Washington and Northwestern from there came a 1-3 run. The losses in that time were versus Maryland, Purdue and Wisconsin. In 27 games that would give the Hawkeyes a 19-8 overall record.

On Wednesday versus Ohio State, the Hawkeyes were in a comfortable spot by halftime sitting on a 37-23 advantage. Iowa cruised in the second half on a 37-34 run and took the eventual win in the end 74-57. Bennett Stirtz was tops on the team with 22 points, three assists and two steals. Alvaro Folgueiras added 20 points with five assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes.

Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

Over on the Penn State side, they opened at 9-4 this year then lost to Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, UCLA, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern before a win over Minnesota. Penn State lost to Michigan, USC, Oregon, Rutgers and Nebraska over the next six games (with a win over  Washington). In 28 games that gives the Lions a 11-17 overall run.

Matched up against Nebraska last weekend, Penn State went into the second half with a 38-20 deficit. The Nittany Lions weren’t able to get any closer than that on a 49-44 run and took the loss in the end 87-64 in a road matchup. Leading the scoring were Kayden Mingo (four rebounds; six assists) and Ivan Juric (10 rebounds; one assist), each with 13 points.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Trends: February 28, 2026

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

• The home team has won 10 of the last 11 games between Iowa and Penn State.
• Iowa has lost five of its last six games at Bryce Jordan Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Iowa has lost the first half in five of its last six games at Bryce Jordan Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Iowa Hawkeyes will win

• Iowa has won 18 of its last 19 day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Penn State has lost eight of its last nine home games against the Big Ten Conference.
• Penn State has lost the first half in 12 of its last 15 games against Conference opponents.

Iowa vs Penn State Prediction

I’ll lean toward Iowa. The Hawkeyes got past a pretty good Ohio State team without a ton of difficulty this week, thanks mostly to 57.4 percent shooting from the field and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the line. Iowa added a 26-22 rebounding advantage and a very nice 44-18 advantage on points in the paint. The Hawkeyes are just 2-3 in the last five games but two of those losses came versus ranked teams in Purdue and Wisconsin.

As for Penn State, they shot 42.1 percent from the field and just 20 percent (4-of-20) from outside in their latest loss to Nebraska. The Lions were out-rebounded 35-30 and had 13 turnovers along the way. Penn State has lost three straight and five of their last six. They’ve given up 83 or more points in three straight as well.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes -8