Iowa Hawkeyes vs Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/27/25
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Hawkeyes versus the Buckeyes? Tip off is at at 8:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on FS1. The game will be played at Value City Arena in Columbus, OH. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 157.5 points, and Ohio State is favored by -7.5 to win at home against Iowa.
IOWA HAWKEYES VS OHIO STATE BUCKEYES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes +7.5
This game will be played at Value City Arena at 8:00 ET on Monday, January 27th.
WHY BET THE IOWA HAWKEYES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Buckeyes.
- Even though we have Ohio State winning straight-up, we like Iowa at +7.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 157.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Will the Hawkeyes Defense Show Up in Columbus?
Iowa edged out a 76-75 win over Penn State on Friday, bringing their season record to 13-7. The Hawkeyes, who were favored by 3.5 points, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 151, falling short of the 168.5 O/U line.
Iowa led 43-38 at halftime but allowed 37 points in the 2nd half while scoring 33. Despite the win, Iowa’s inability to cover the spread and the lower-than-expected point total were notable.
Iowa’s offense clicked in their last game, putting up 76 points with a 50% field goal percentage. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 11 of 23 threes for a 47.8% rate, contributing to an effective field goal percentage of 60.7%.
Nick Kern Jr. led the way with 18 points, while Drew Thelwell and Owen Freeman each added 16. Thelwell also knocked down 3 of 5 from deep and dished out 4 assists. Josh Dix contributed 11 points and 8 assists, despite shooting just 1 of 5 from three.
Iowa’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 75 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Hawkeyes allowed their opponent to hit 51% of their two-point attempts, going 17/33.
From beyond the arc, Iowa’s defense couldn’t contain the shooters, who connected on 47% of their threes, making 11/23. The opponent also went 9/15 from the free-throw line.
Will the Buckeyes Win at Home?
Ohio State Buckeyes Recent Game/Games
Ohio State improved to 11-8 on the season with a 73-70 road win over Purdue on Tuesday. The Buckeyes entered the game as +10.5 point underdogs and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.
After trailing 41-28 at halftime, Ohio State turned things around by outscoring Purdue 45-29 in the second half. The total points for the game reached 143, going over the pre-game line of 140.5.
Ohio State put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 53.3% from the field and 47.8% from three-point range, hitting 11 of 23 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 66.7%, and they connected on 82.4% of their free throws, going 14 for 17 from the line.
Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 26 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 68.8% from the field. Micah Parrish added 22 points, hitting 6 of 8 threes, and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Braden Smith contributed 8 assists, despite shooting just 21.4% overall.
Ohio State’s defense gave up 70 points, allowing the opponent to shoot 48% from the field. They connected on 26 of their 54 attempts.
Inside the arc, the opponent shot 51%, hitting 23 of 45 two-point shots. From three-point range, they went 3/9, shooting 33%. At the free-throw line, they made 15 of 20, for 75%.