The Hawkeyes were flirting with the No. 1 ranking in the country a few weeks back, but they’ve hit hard times since. A home loss to Wisconsin on Wednesday was Iowa’s third in four games where it went 0-4 ATS, and the Hawkeyes no longer control their own destiny for winning the Big Ten.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE IOWA HAWKEYES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Iowa has performed sluggishly over its past four games going 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS in that span. Included in that stretch was a narrow win over Minnesota, a team with just two Big Ten wins. So, yes, it’s been a difficult time.
A loss last week at Penn State, which is just 5-9 in the league, prompted a players-only meeting on Saturday, which the Hawkeyes said was mostly positive. The results weren’t apparent on the court, as Iowa suffered a setback to a hot Wisconsin squad.
Opponents have pressured Iowa’s scoring stars Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok and limited the Hawkeyes feared transition game. They desperately need another consistent scorer to emerge to take some of the pressure away from Uthoff and Jok. Iowa also needs the bench to produce more points.
The Hawkeyes had a week off prior to Wednesday’s loss, and the time may have hurt them in the short term, but should be beneficial in the long run. They fixed some defensive issues against Wisconsin that plagued them in their previous three games. Now, the offense needs to find its rhythm.
HOW THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The season isn’t over, though those NCAA tournament hopes likely are unless something crazy like a Big Ten Tournament title is down the road. It’s not. Not without forward Jae’Sean Tate, who is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
But Ohio State still has games to play, and can’t let what happened Tuesday snowball into something worse. Not only did the Buckeyes get gouged by Michigan State at home, they also learned that their third-leading scorer wouldn’t play again this season.
The good news for Ohio State is that Iowa is struggling just as bad. Getting a fragile opponent on their own floor will likely be a boost for Ohio State, who doesn’t have that marquee win that so many teams ahead of them do.
The loss of Tate is huge, but it opens the door for the likes of Mickey Mitchell and Trevor Thompson to step up and provide more support. With the team’s leading scorer in conference games done, the Buckeyes need more balance.
The primary scoring duties will still be handled by Marc Loving and JaQuan Lyle, but better accuracy from the field is needed. Tate shot 52.1 percent from the floor, only one other Buckeye, Thompson, is above 50 percent.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
A whole week of not playing games is indeed a break at the end of a grueling schedule, even for a group of young kids. While the Hawkeyes didn’t have the desired result last basketball game, the time off will help them in the final two weeks of the season. Iowa spent the week working mainly on their defensive intensity, which faltered in three games before its loss to Wisconsin. Iowa was allowing more than 10 points above its season average during that stretch. The Hawkeyes did a nice job limiting the Badgers, but the offense stalled and produced a season low point total in the loss. That’s what happens when a team is in a slump. Iowa got little use from Uthoff against Wisconsin due to foul trouble. He produced 11 points, about eight below his season average, and sat for a critical stretch late in the second half. After that dismal performance, expect Uthoff to be chomping at the bit to get back on the court.
Iowa 87, Ohio State 75
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes will go down Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 4 p.m. ET at Value City Arena. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
