Published Feb 17, 1:44pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Feb 17, 1:44pm ET
Updated Feb 17, 1:44pm ET
The Iowa Hawkeyes host the No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten battle with big aspirations. The game will be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City at 9:00 p.m. ET. Will Nebraska continue its quest for the Big Ten title, or will Iowa put an end to its 2-game skid?
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| IOWA HAWKEYES | -1.5 (-105) |
| NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS | +1.5 (-105) |
Huskers Chase Statement Road WinNebraska is having a superb season so far, ranked 9th in the nation and sitting at 22–3 overall. They are 11–3 in the Big Ten and right behind Michigan and Illinois in the standings, who they coincidentally lost to in recent weeks. They are in dire need of getting back to winning ways, as they are just 2–3 in their last five games.
The Cornhuskers mostly stand out with their defense, as they rank in the top 20 nationally in points allowed at 66 PPG. They also move the ball well, ranking top 25 in assists, and protect the ball with very few turnovers (top 20 in that category). Their key player is Pryce Sandfort, who is coming off a 29-point game against Northwestern.
Iowa is currently in a rut with a two-game losing streak; however, they still have a respectable 18–7 record. Before this skid, they were on a six-game winning streak, so they simply need to rediscover their winning formula and get back on track. They’ll be relying on their offensive rating, as they are top 15 in the country in this category.
Their best offense runs through Bennett Stirtz, who is averaging 20.4 PPG on 51.6% shooting with 4.7 APG. He recently had 36 points against Northwestern and 22 against Washington. Other critical role players are Tavion Banks and Alvaro Folgueiras.
Nebraska is a slight underdog in this game at +1.5, despite being ranked highly in the nation. Iowa is looking to use its home crowd as a secret weapon and get back to winning ways. The over/under for the game is 139.5, and the moneyline is -122 for Iowa and +102 for Nebraska.
Our recommended pick is Nebraska +1.5 on the road, as we feel the Huskers are in dire need of a statement win.
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Pick
Nebraska Cornhuskers +1.5
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