Nebraska is looking for another win after their upset of Purdue as they face Iowa. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Nebraska-Iowa prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Nebraska comes into the game sitting at 13-3 on the year, and 3-2 in Big Ten play. Last time out was one of the biggest games of the year for them as they faced Purdue. Purdue was ranked number one in the nation going into the game, but it was close early. With 3:31 left in the first, Nebraska was down just one. They would go on a huge run and lead 41-30 at the half. Purdue would come back though, being down just two with 13:34 left in the game. Nebraska would do on another run though, and would win the game 88-72, in a huge upset in which they were 7.5 point underdogs.
Meanwhile, Iowa comes into the game sitting at just 9-6 on the year but has won four of their last five games. They are just 1-3 in Big Ten play, with their only loss in the last five being to Wisconsin by 11 in Big Ten Play. Still, they were able to rebound from that loss. Last time out, they faced Rutgers and beat them by nine to get their first conference win of the year.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Nebraska-Iowa Odds
Nebraska: +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +134
Iowa: -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -162
Over: 164.5 (-115)
Under: 164.5 (-105)
How to Watch Nebraska vs. Iowa
Time: 9:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Nebraska Will Cover The Spread
Nebraska is 39th in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are 30th in the nation this year in adjusted offensive efficiency while also sitting 74th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Nebraska is 62nd in the nation in points per game this year. Meanwhile, they are top 30 in three-point attempts and threes made this year. Keisei Tominaga leads the way in points per game this year, with 14.6 points per game. He also leads the team in threes this year, making 33 of 88 attempts on the season. Joining him in scoring well are Brice Williams and Rienk Mast. Both come in shooting over 43 percent while both averaging 13.3 points per game this year.
Nebraska is 45th in the nation in rebounds per game, while sitting 34th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game. The rebounding game is led by Rienk Mast. Mast comes in with 8.7 rebounds per game this year, leading the team. Meanwhile, Juwan Gary is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game this year, while averaging 12.1 points per game this year. Rounding out the top rebounders is Brice Williams, who comes in with 5.6 rebounds per game.
On defense, Nebraska is 75th in opponent points per game this year. They are 34th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Juwan Gary comes in leading the team with 1.3 steals per game while Keisei Tominaga also helps with 1.1 steals per game this year.
Why Iowa Will Cover The Spread
Iowa ranks 51st in KenPom's adjusted efficiency this year, sitting 22nd on offense, but 119th on the defensive efficiency side of the ball. Iowa ranks sixth in the nation in points per game this year, while also sitting sixth in the nation in assists per game. Further, they are third in the nation in field goal attempts per game this year. Ben Krikke comes in playing great. He is averaging 16.7 points per game this year while shooting 58.4 percent from the field on the year. Meanwhile, Both Payton Sandfort and Tony Perkins come in averaging 14.1 points per game on the year. Both are shooting over 44 percent as well, and both have been good at distributing. Sandfort comes in with 2.8 assists per game, while Perkis has 3.9 assists per game. While Iowa is averaging 19.1 assists per game, it is a team effort. Perkins leads the team with 3.5 assists per game, while Brock Harding sits second with 3.2 assists per game on the year.
Iowa has been solid rebounding this year, sitting 49th in the nation on the boards. This is led by Payton Sandfort, who has 6.9 rebounds per game this year. Meanwhile, Owen Freeman and Ben Krikke have also been solid. Freeman is averaging 5.7 rebounds per game this year while Krikke comes in with 5.6 rebounds per game.
The biggest weak spot for Iowa is its defense. They are 286th in the nation in points allowed per game this year. One bright spot is Owen Freeman. He comes in with 1.1 steals per game while also averaging 2.0 blocks per game on the year.
Final Nebraska-Iowa Prediction & Pick
Nebraska is coming off a huge upset of Purdue, and while they will be able to score against Iowa, this is a prime spot for a letdown. Iowa has a solid offense this year and moves the ball well. This is not a two-man show like at Purdue. The starting five all move the ball well and score well. Further, three of their top seven guys in terms of minutes this year are shooting over 55 percent. That is not something that Nebraska will be able to handle. While Nebraska showed they could handle one-star players, they may not be able to handle a solid group of multiple good players. Take Iowa in this one.
Final Nebraska-Iowa Prediction & Pick: Iowa -3.5 (-110)
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