The Indiana Hoosiers travel to Iowa City on Saturday to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a clash of two of the Big Ten's classic teams. The Hoosiers are 13-3 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten while riding a five-game winning streak into Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 11-4 on the season and 2-2 in conference play after surviving Nebraska this week and squeaking out an overtime win. The opening tap of this game is scheduled for 8:00 pm EST.
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Read on for the prediction for the Indiana/Iowa game.
Indiana coming in hot
The Indiana Hoosiers improved to 13-3 on the season with an 82-69 win over USC at home on Wednesday night. The win was the Hoosiers fifth straight overall and ninth win in their last ten games. The Hoosiers started slowly, tied at the half, but took control in the second half to improve to 4-1 in the Big Ten this season.
"I'm not going to dwell on it. The bottom line is we won today. You know, I mean, our team has shown that they don't quit. You got to give Southern Cal, their team, credit because they came ready to play." head coach Mike Woodson said about the win over USC.
The Hoosiers were led by big man Oumar Ballo and his 23 points. Ballo went 8-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the line while grabbing eight rebounds as well. This was his third straight game of 20 or more points for the Hoosiers. He was supported by Miles Rice who netted 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds and six assists in an all-around effort. Luke Goode lit up next with 16 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting. Overall, the Hoosiers shot 44 percent from the field and outrebounded USC 40-33 on the night.
The Hoosiers will now try to make it six straight wins with a victory over Iowa in Iowa. The Hoosiers ended a four-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a win last year but haven't won a game in Iowa since the 2020-21 season. Indiana comes into this game ranked 60th in the country in scoring. The Hoosiers are 50th in field goal shooting but just 228th in 3-point shooting. The Hoosiers are also just 287th in 3-point field goals made per game. They check in at 185th in the country in turnovers per game and are ranked 54th in offensive efficiency. The Hoosiers are ranked 111th in scoring defense this season. They rank 92nd in field goal defense and 49th in 3-point defense. The Hoosiers are ranked 206th in the country in forced turnovers per game and 49th in defensive efficiency. They check in at 34th in the country in total rebounds per game.
Key Injuries: F Malike Reneau is questionable. G Jakai Newton, G Gabe Cupps, G Shaun Burke, and G Ian Stephens are out.
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Hawkeyes hope to continue home dominance
The Iowa Hawkeyes trailed by 15 points with 15 minutes left on Tuesday night inside the Carver-Hawkeye Arena but roared back to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Hawkeyes then scored the first nine points in overtime and came away with a big OT win, 97-87. The win improved the Hawkeyes to 14-4 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference play.
“Well, we defended really well in this game. And the last time we played them, they were just taking us off the dribble, they were running it down our throats. They really dictated what they wanted to do, and that’s why they won. And then of course, they played better than us down the stretch, so we had to reverse that trend. We didn’t play great offensively, but we did defend. They were one for 11 for three, we were up into them, we contained dribble penetration. They’re a very quick team off the dribble. We contained that much better than we had. We handled the ball screens better, rebounded better and even though we didn’t play particularly well offensively, we were still up four, and that’s usually a good sign.” head coach Fran McCaffrey said.
The Hawkeyes were led by Josh Dix and his career-high 31 points in the win. Dix connected on 10-of-14 field goals and hit a career-high seven 3-point field goals. Dix also added six rebounds and a career-best seven assists. Dix wasn't alone, however with three teammates in double figures including 30 points from Payton Sandfort. This marked the first game since 2022 that the Hawkeyes had two players score 30+ points in the same game. Owen Freeman added 15 points and Pryce Sandfort had 11 in the big win. Iowa made 17 3-point field goals in the game and were 22-of-25 as a team from the free throw line.
The Hawkeyes hope to continue their home dominance on Saturday against the Hoosiers. Iowa checks in at 9-1 at home this season and has not lost at home to the Hoosiers for five years. The Hawkeyes are led by their offense. They rank second in the nation in scoring thus far. The Hawkeyes are fifth in field goal shooting and 12th in 3-point shooting. They are 9th in 3-point field goals made per game. Iowa is a solid 38th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game and 20th in offensive efficiency. On the defensive end, the Hawkeyes are 292nd in scoring defense this season. They are just 280th in field goal defense and 141st in 3-point defense. The Hawkeyes are 26th in the country in forced turnovers and rank 124th in defensive efficiency.
Key Injuries: F Cooper Koch is out.
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Best Bets for Indiana vs. Iowa
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Indiana has struggled in Iowa over the last few years, but this year's team seems to be able to overcome adversity much better than in recent years. The Hoosiers have been without one of their best players, Malik Reneau, for three straight games but have won all three games. In his absence, Luke Goode has found the range and given the Hoosiers a legitimate three-point threat. The Hoosiers will take their chances against a Hawkeyes team that lets up points in droves and is the worst rebounding team in the Big Ten. That will be an issue against an Indiana team that is 34th in the country in total rebounds per game. Iowa is also a great 3-point shooting team but the Hoosiers are outstanding on the perimeter defensivley, ranked 49th in the country in 3-point defense. Indiana will get over the hump this season and pick up a road win in Iowa.
Take the Hoosiers.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Hard not to take the over in a game featuring the Hawkeyes. They are scoring the most points per game in the Big Ten but are also giving up the most points in the conference. The Hawkeyes are lights out from the field, ranking fifth in the country in field goal shooting this season. They are also 12th in 3-point shooting and ninth in 3-point shots per game. They play fast, ranked 20th in the nation in pace of play. These are not the Hoosiers of the Bobby Knight era. This team plays fast, ranking 76th in the country in pace of play. They are 50th in field goal shooting and 60th in scoring. The Hoosiers will welcome the weak defense of the Hawkeyes and the Hawkeyes issues on the glass.
Take the over.
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