The Ohio State Buckeyes (19-12) travel to face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes (18-13) on Thursday, March 14th. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on BTN. Ohio State is coming off a win in their previous game, while Iowa is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Illinois. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Iowa Hawkeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes Are Coming Off A Win
Ohio State comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 21 of their 31 games this season. They have a record of 16-5 in those games. The Buckeyes have won four straight games, and they are 19-12 overall.
On the road, Ohio State has gone 5-8, and they have gone 2-1 in their last three games away from home. Their average scoring margin on the road is -0.8 points per game. So far, they are 9-11 in Big Ten play.
On the season, Ohio State has an ATS record of 14-17, including a mark of 9-12 vs. the spread when favored. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Buckeyes are 5-5 vs. the spread. On the road, Ohio State has an ATS record of 6-7 this year and they are 4-6 in their last 10 road games vs. the spread. However, over their last 3 road games, the Buckeyes have an ATS mark of 2-1.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Ohio State’s games this season (143.2). So far, 25 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 138 points, which is lower than the average over/under mark for the season (143.4).
The Iowa Hawkeyes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Despite being the underdog, the Hawkeyes have been much better at home this season. Iowa’s home record is 14-5, compared to 4-8 on the road, and they have an average scoring margin of +10.9 at home.
In their last game, the Hawkeyes fell to Illinois, 73-61. Over their last 10 home games, Iowa has gone 7-3, and they are 4-1 in their last five contests at home.
As the underdog this season, Iowa has gone just 5-9 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS mark is 7-11-1, including a 1-3-1 mark in their last 5 games. Overall, the Hawkeyes have an ATS record of 12-18-1 this year.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Iowa’s games this season (159.9). Currently, there have been more games (23) with more points than 154.5 than games (8) with less points than 154.5. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1.
Ohio State Offense Breakdown
In their previous game, the Buckeyes’ offense finished with 73 points, which is right in line with their current average of 74.5 points per contest. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the team in scoring, putting up 14 points. Additionally, Bruce Thornton contributed 11 points for the Buckeyes.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Thornton (G) | 16.1 | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Jamison Battle (F) | 14.4 | 4.8 | 1.1 |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. (G) | 13.8 | 4.6 | 3.0 |
Iowa Offense Breakdown
Iowa offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 61 points against Illinois. In that game, they made 7/21 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 35.4%. Payton Sandfort was the leading scorer for the Hawkeyes, putting up 23 points. In addition, Josh Dix contributed 13 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Sandfort (F) | 16.2 | 6.5 | 2.7 |
| Tony Perkins (G) | 14.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Ben Krikke (F) | 13.5 | 4.7 | 1.4 |
Ohio State Team Defense
Currently, the Buckeyes’ defense holds the 89th rank in the nation, allowing 69.0 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Ohio State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 42.6% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 34.0% this season.
Iowa Team Defense
Looking at the Iowa defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 78.6 points per game (316th). On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.8 threes per game vs. Ohio State. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 35.9%.
Buckeyes vs Hawkeyes Trends
- Ohio State has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 68 points per game while allowing 67. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
- Iowa has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 83 points per game while allowing 82. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Hawkeyes have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Buckeyes have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
Buckeyes vs Hawkeyes Prediction
The Hawkeyes come in as the underdog at +1.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 154.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 14, 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes, Ohio State Buckeyes