Ohio State vs Iowa Basketball Predictions, Odds and Picks - Feb. 2

Ohio State vs Iowa Basketball Predictions, Odds and Picks - Feb. 2 | College Basketball Season 2023-24

Modified Feb 02, 2024 17:57 GMT

Ohio State v Northwestern: The Buckeyes face Iowa next.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (13-8, 3-7 conf) and the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-9, 4-6 conf) lock horns on Friday. The game comes as the regular season draws to a close and seedings start getting tighter, with the March Madness on the horizon.

Their under .500 conference record notwithstanding, the Hawkeyes have had success in their recent Big Ten matchups, winning four of their last eight games.

As for Ohio State, their only silver lining this year is that bitter rivals Michigan are dead-last in the Big Ten. Perhaps they just want this season to be over at this point.

Ohio State vs Iowa Prediction

The Buckeyes' three-game skid saw them lose every game by double digits. If they are any indication of their offensive struggles, they might be in for a tough night. Trying to trade baskets against the Hawkeyes could be their downfall if they opt to do that, given their mediocre defense.

They're going up against one of the best-scoring teams in the nation in Iowa (19th in PPG at 84.4). Moreover, the Hawkeyes are also the 11th-best passing team in the country (18.5 assists/game). That's bannered by G Tony Perkins, who leads the team in assists (4.1 per game) and is also their leading scorer.

For this game, the prediction will be quite simple. Iowa will have execute to their heart's content against a team whose defense might not be able to keep up all night.

If the game devolves into a scoring battle, the Hawkeyes offense will have a far better chance at outscoring the Buckeyes.

Ohio State vs Iowa Betting Odds

TEAM	SPREAD	TOTAL	MONEYLINE
OHIO STATE	+5.5 (-110)	o156.5 (-115)	+202
IOWA	-5.5 (-110)	u156.5 (-110)	-250

Ohio State vs Iowa Head-to-Head

In 132 games since the 1949-1950 season (via Sports Reference), the Buckeyes trail the Hawkeyes, 64-68. The last 33 seasons have been close, with OSU leading 34-32.

In their last meeting on Mar. 9, 2023, Ohio State won 73-69 at the United Center in Chicago, where OSU's Bruce Thornton logged 17 points, six assists and two steals on 8-13 shooting (via OhioStateBuckeyes.com).