Iowa vs. Indiana Picks and Prediction for Saturday, January 17, 2026
Use Code WWWC On Saturday, the Iowa Hawkeyes will battle the Indiana Hoosiers on the hardwood at Assembly Hall, and we have you ready to go with our Iowa vs. Indiana prediction, odds, and preview. Tip-off from Bloomington, IN, is at 2:00 p.m. ET.
These Big Ten foes played once last season, a game the Hawkeyes won 85-60. Iowa is 6-4 (4-6 ATS) in its last ten matchups with Indiana, and the over was 6-3-1 in those games. If you want the Iowa vs. Indiana prediction, read on to get our top NCAAB predictions and increase your bankroll!
Hawkeyes need to get up off the mat
Iowa (12-5 SU, 12-5 ATS, and 11-6 O/U) has lost three straight games, falling to 2-4 in conference play this season. The Hawkeyes covered as 10.5-point favorites, but didn't have enough to pull off the upset on Wednesday in West Lafayette, losing 79-72 to the Boilermakers. Iowa led by three at halftime and was ahead for more than 50 percent of the game, but Purdue finished strong with a superior paint scoring presence (32 points). The home team also shot 19-for-22 at the free-throw line.
The Hawkeyes were picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten's preseason media poll. They are led by first-year coach Ben McCollum, who was 31-4 last season at Drake. Iowa scores 78.8 points per game (182nd) on 51.1 percent shooting (16th), including 37.7 percent from deep (26th). Defensively, they allow 62.8 points per game (5th) on 43.7 percent shooting (181st), including 31.0 percent from long range (83rd).
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Like Saturday's opponent, Iowa's roster features many transfers. McCollum brought several Bulldogs with him to Ames, including their top two scorers, senior guards Bennett Stirtz (17.7 PPG and 5.0 APG) and Tavion Banks (9.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG). A few other Hawkeyes to watch in Saturday's Big Ten game against Indiana are junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras (8.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG), junior forward Cam Manyawu (7.6 PPG and 4.6 RPG), and freshman forward Cooper Koch (7.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG).
Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball Injury Report:
- No injuries to report.
Hoosiers hope DeVries can rediscover his 3PT touch
Indiana (12-5 SU, 8-9 ATS, and 9-8 O/U) has dropped consecutive games after winning its previous three conference games. The Hoosiers were solid early but couldn't sustain their pace at Michigan State, losing 81-60. The Spartans shot 51 percent from the field and added 19 points at the foul line to overcome 15 turnovers. IU was outrebounded 37-19, as well.
The Hoosiers were picked to finish 10th in the Big Ten's preseason media poll. They are led by first-year coach Darian DeVries, who led West Virginia to a 19-13 record last season and was 150-55 over the previous six seasons at Drake. Indiana scores 83.1 points per game (105th) on 48.0 percent shooting (59th), including 36.1 percent from deep (73rd). Defensively, they surrender 68.8 points per game (57th) on 40.3 percent shooting (46th), including 29.8 percent from long range (40th).
With ten transfers and five freshmen, there are a lot of new faces in Bloomington. IU raided several mid-major programs to build its 2025-26 roster, as only forwards Sam Alexis (Florida) and Tucker DeVries (West Virginia) came from Power-4 teams. The coach's son, DeVries, was the most impactful addition, as the senior forward is a five-year starter with career averages of 17.3 points and 5.5 rebounds with a 36.1% mark from three-point range. He's hit just 32.9 percent of his treys this season on 8.2 attempts per game, as he's been off the mark in the last few games. A few other Hoosiers to watch against Iowa are senior guard Lamar Wilkerson (20.2 PPG and 3.1 RPG), senior guard Tayton Connerway (11.9 PPG and 4.5 APG), and senior forward Reed Bailey (10.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG).
Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Injury Report:
- No injuries to report.
Iowa vs. Indiana Pick and Preview
Spread Pick for Iowa vs. Indiana
- Hoosiers cover spread (4 Units)
It would be an overstatement to call this a must-win game for either team, but with both Iowa and Indiana hoping to rebound from losing streaks, the outcome could be a turning point for the winner. Given how important the three-point shot is to the Hoosiers (14th-highest three-point rate in the nation), their home-court advantage is especially impactful. IU needs DeVries to rediscover his shooting stroke, as he has been in a tailspin from long range (20.3% in the last seven games) after a strong start to the season (43.7% in the first ten games), and there's no better place to turn things around than home. I believe he can do that on Saturday.
Iowa has played its heart out the last three games, but came up short against Minnesota, Illinois, and Purdue. Those teams are a combined 14-4 in Big Ten competition this season, so there's no shame in that. However, I worry that the weight of those narrow defeats will be challenging to overcome if the score is close late in Saturday's game. Besides, the Hawkeyes haven't played well on the road (ranked 362nd in Haslametrics' Away from Home metric), either.
In short, while it will take some faith backing either side, I recommend betting on the Hoosiers.
Over/Under Pick for Iowa vs. Indiana
- Over (4 Units)
I expect Indiana to knock down more threes than it has recently, which should result in a higher-scoring affair. The Hoosiers will also push the pace at home, forcing the Hawkeyes to keep up or eat dust. I believe Iowa should have a fair amount of success offensively in its quest to match Indiana, as the Hoosiers enter this matchup ranked 360th nationally in defensive momentum, per Haslametrics. They are also foul-prone (219th in opponent FT attempt rate). The visitors haven't played their best basketball on the road, but they shoot a high percentage near the rim and beyond the arc, so I anticipate a steady flow of made shots by both teams. Given how competitive Saturday's game may be, overtime isn't out of the question, either.
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