A loss to No. 2 Michigan drastically turned around the Indiana Hoosiers’ season on January 6. Since then, Indiana is 1-11 SU and 3-9 ATS through conference play, including a 77-72 loss at home to Iowa on February 7. Iowa was a 2.5-point dog in that game but will be a 7-point favorite on home court tonight in Iowa City. The total is set at 146.
Standout Stats
- Iowa is the top scoring team in the Big Ten at 76.5 points per game. The Hawkeyes have gotten there on 45 percent shooting, which is second in the conference.
- The Hawkeyes are 4-1 SU and ATS as a favorite of 7 points or less this season. Iowa’s average win margin in those games is 12.3.
- Indiana actually shot better from the floor than Iowa in the first meeting this year (49.1 vs 45 percent), but the difference was Indiana’s 12 turnovers and Iowa’s 40 percent shooting from three-point land. Iowa is the No. 2 three-point shooting team in the Big Ten at 38.1 percent.
- Opponents are shooting 34.3 percent on three-point field goals vs Indiana in conference play, giving them the No. 11 three-point defense out of 14 teams. Iowa has averaged 9.2 three-point shots per game in its last nine games.
- The Hoosiers lost while scoring 46 points on 27.3 percent shooting vs Purdue in their last outing. Thankfully, I did not see that game. In its previous game, Indiana lost by 21 at Minnesota – the Golden Gophers hadn’t won since January before that game.
My Pick For Indiana vs Iowa
Iowa -7
I would like to believe that losing a game 48-46 as a Division 1 school is rock bottom, but based on the free fall that Indiana is experiencing, I’m not confident in saying that they’ve hit it yet. With that, I’m going to back the high-scoring Iowa Hawkeyes tonight on home court.
Indiana has shot better than 40 percent from the floor just twice in its last 10 games while opponents have routinely shot better than 45 percent. This seems like a team that is just playing out the string with little to no motivation.
