Indiana vs Iowa: Betting Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/12/22)

Indiana vs Iowa Betting Odds

Since the 12-minute mark of the second half in their game vs Michigan, Indiana has been the best team in the country.

The Hoosiers pulled off an unlikely upset over No. 1 seed Illinois on Friday morning, in a game that featured plenty of Illini mistakes.

Meanwhile, Iowa dominated another Big Ten team, taking down Rutgers by double-digits. The Hawkeyes will be major favorites with a chance at the Big Ten championship game on the line.

But Indiana has proven it’s not fraudulent, so the Hawkeyes better not overlook this matchup.

Indiana Hoosiers Odds

Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a man possessed.

He’s put up a combined 44 points and 15 rebounds in these two tournament games, overwhelming Hunter Dickinson and Kofi Cockburn in the process. Thanks to TJD, the Hoosiers are going dancing this season.

The defense has been the backbone of the Hoosiers all season, with Indiana pacing the conference in defensive efficiency. But this tournament run has been impressive even by those terms.

Indiana held both Michigan and Illinois to under 1.00 points per possession. Those were two of the four most-efficient offenses in the Big Ten this season.

This is obviously a Cinderella run, but can the Hoosiers keep it going?

Jackson-Davis will have to keep playing otherworldly. And Xavier Johnson has to continue this positive run he’s on, as he posted double-digit scoring and seven assists in both games.

But It’s only going to get tougher against Iowa.

Iowa Hawkeyes Odds

While Indiana has relied on its defense, Iowa has simply outscored everyone.

The Hawkeye offense is rolling. Iowa scored 112 against Northwestern – a Big Ten tournament record – and 84 against Rutgers. Iowa scored 1.53 points per possession in the former game and then 1.24 points per possession in the second game.

Keegan Murray is a stud. He scored 26 in both games. But Iowa is more than just Murray finishing at the rim and shooting, there are plenty of weapons on this team.

Kris Murray is an underrated offensive threat. Jordan Bohannon is the facilitator for an up-tempo offense that led the league in offensive turnover rate. Tony Perkins put up 16 points in the Rutgers game.

But the Iowa defense has steadily improved. It’s not nearly as pathetic as Purdue’s and actually finished above average in the Big Ten final efficiency stats.

Indiana vs Iowa Prediction and Pick

I hate betting overs in conference tournament games, but I think this number is low.

The total was 150.5 when these two met in early January, and the two flew way over the total.

Indiana’s defense is the backbone of the Hoosiers, but TJD is going to dominate Murray on the interior here. Meanwhile, I see no signs of Iowa’s electric offense slowing down.

I’ll take the over up to 145.