— Friday, February 25th Iowa Hawkeyes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
The No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes (19-8, 9-7) have put themselves back on the right side of the bubble, and they close February against the last-place team in the Big Ten, Nebraska.
Despite another losing season at 7-20, 1-15, Nebraska announced Thursday that head coach Fred Hoiberg will return next year. Tipoff at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, is set for 9:00 p.m. ET Friday on FS1.
Just two weeks ago, these teams met in Iowa City, and the Hawkeyes dominated 98-75. Iowa has won the last three in the series by an average of 28.3 ppg, and they are 6-4 in the last 10. They haven’t won in Lincoln, though, since 2015, with the Cornhuskers taking the last four.
Iowa Boasts BIG Scoring Leader
Iowa is 16-11 ATS, and the over is 18-8-1 in their 27 games. They are 5-5 away from Iowa City and 4-5 in true road games this season. Iowa has won five of six overall, including an impressive 26-point win over Michigan State on Tuesday.
Iowa’s offense ranks fifth in the nation at 83.6 ppg, and they shoot 45.9% from the floor. The 3-point shooting has been better as of late, but they are still 128th in the nation at 35%. The defense ranks 242nd in scoring (71.0), and they allow 32.7% shooting from 3-point range.
Keegan Murray leads the Big Ten in scoring and could be Iowa’s third straight scoring champ following Luka Garza. He’s scoring 23.5 ppg and grabbing 6.1 rpg while shooting 56% from the field. Murray has scored at least 21 points in seven straight games, including 37 against Nebraska earlier this month.
Patrick McCaffery (10.8), Jordan Bohannon (10.7), and Kris Murray (10.1) are also in double figures. Bohannon has made 66 3-pointers on the season and is shooting at a 38% clip. Kris Murray had 12 against Nebraska in the first game while Bohannon had ten, and Iowa shot 51.3% from the field.
Nebraska Better at Home
Nebraska is 13-14 ATS this season, and the over is 17-10 in their 27 games. They haven’t won away from home this year, but they are 7-11 in Lincoln. Their lone Big Ten win came against Minnesota on February 9, and they are 0-6 against ranked teams this season.
The Cornhuskers rank 352nd out of 358 teams in scoring defense at 79.3 ppg allowed, and opponents are shooting 45% against them. Nebraska averages 72.3 ppg, and they shoot 43.2%, which ranks 233rd. They are 321st in the country in 3-point shooting at 30.6%.
Bryce McGowens leads Nebraska in scoring at 16.7 ppg, and he’s been in double figures in the last nine, with five of 20 points or more. Alonzo Verge Jr. averages 13.7 ppg and leads the team with 5.0 apg. C.J. Witcher has made a team-best 42 3-pointers while Derrick Walker leads the team at 5.9 rpg.
In the first meeting, Walker had 14 points while McGowens had 11, and Eduardo Andre had ten off the bench. Nebraska was outrebounded by six and shot just 28% from 3-point range, and also had eight more turnovers than the Hawkeyes.
Betting Analysis
- Iowa Hawkeyes -12 (-110) Money line -720
- Nebraska Cornhuskers +12 (-110). Money line +500
- Total Points 155 Over -110, Under -110
Nebraska has lost to ranked teams by an average of 16 ppg this season and fell to a then unranked Iowa team by 23 just 12 days ago. They have played better at home, but their defense has no chance to slow down the Iowa offense, especially Murray. Look for Iowa to get out to a big lead and send a message with a convincing win.
Betting Pick: Iowa -12 (-110)
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