Subscribe
Follow Us
The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Iowa Purdue prediction, odds, and pick.
Click here for our Risk Free $1000 Bet!
*To claim, new users need to register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, we’ll refund their loses in the form of a free-bet up to $1000!*
The Iowa Hawkeyes had a very unimpressive resume one month ago, as college basketball odds experts were aware of. Iowa was fattening up on the lower half of the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes needed to beat the upper end of the conference to burnish their NCAA Tournament credentials.
They began to do that, and the Big Ten championship odds promptly changed.
Iowa won at Ohio State and Michigan and hammered Michigan State at home. The Hawkeyes clearly evolved on defense, where they have often been wobbly in the past under coach Fran McCaffery. With Keegan Murray playing like a superstar, Iowa just needs the supporting cast to be there to help Murray to a reasonable degree. When Iowa gets this formula in place, the Hawkeyes are very tough … and that is what they have looked like over the past several weeks. They beat Indiana on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals after trailing 67-58 in the final five minutes of regulation. This is part of the context surrounding an Iowa Purdue prediction.
This is a resilient group which has clearly dug in deeper and fought harder as the importance of each game has increased. Iowa will be seeking its first Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament run since 1999 when it starts play in the Big Dance in several days.
Purdue did not win the Big Ten regular-season championship, so the Boilermakers know this game is a huge opportunity for them. They can still walk away with Big Ten hardware and a title celebration this season. Purdue fended off an upset bid from Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday. Then the Boilermakers stopped Michigan State and Tom Izzo in the semifinals on Saturday. Jaden Ivey started the Michigan State game just 1 of 6 from the field, but he made acrobatic highlight-reel plays in the second half to carry the Boilermakers home. Purdue will need to win this game to have a chance at a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Keep that in mind when making an Iowa Purdue pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Iowa-Purdue odds:
Big Ten Championship Odds: Iowa-Purdue Odds
Iowa: +2 (-110)
Purdue: -2 (-110)
Over: 150 (-110)
Under: 150 (-110)
*Watch College Sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why Iowa Could Cover the Spread
The Hawkeyes are a very confident team right now. Coming back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation to beat Indiana in Indianapolis was not easy, and it took a very tough team to pull off that feat. Being able to win in the face of adversity at tournament time is exactly what propels a team to a conference tournament championship.
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
The Boilermakers didn't win the Big Ten regular-season title. They have unfinished business here and will play with the fury and focus of a team which has its eyes on the prize. The Boilermakers will be on a mission in this game.
Final Iowa-Purdue Prediction & Pick
Iowa is a much-improved team, but Purdue will be angry and slightly more motivated. The Boilermakers will prevail.
Final Iowa-Purdue Pick: Purdue -2
