Penn State Nittany Lions vs Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/24/25
Looking to win big? The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes face off at 9:00 ET on FS1. The Hawkeyes are hosting the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 171.5 points, and Iowa is favored to win by -2.5 at home vs. Penn State.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS VS IOWA HAWKEYES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes -2.5
This game will be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 9:00 ET on Friday, January 24th.
WHY BET THE IOWA HAWKEYES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Hawkeyes.
- Not only will Iowa pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 171.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Can Penn State Deliver Being Underdogs on the Road?
Penn State improved to 13-6 on the season with an 80-72 win over Rutgers on Monday. The Nittany Lions, who were -7 favorites at home, covered the spread with the victory.
Leading 37-35 at halftime, Penn State pulled away by outscoring Rutgers 43-37 in the second half. The total points for the game finished just under the O/U line of 155.5.
Penn State put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 49% from the field and 47.6% from three-point range, hitting 10 of 21 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.2%, and they connected on 81.5% of their free throws, going 22 for 27 from the line.
Ace Bailey led the way with 30 points, shooting 86.7% overall and 80% from deep. Yanic Konan Niederhauser was nearly perfect, hitting 7 of 8 shots, while Nick Kern Jr. went 4 for 4 from the field. Ace Baldwin Jr. added 22 points and 8 assists.
Despite Penn State’s defensive efforts, they allowed 72 points on 49% shooting from the field. The Nittany Lions gave up 24 made field goals, with 14 coming from two-point range, where the opposing team shot 50%.
From beyond the arc, Penn State’s defense allowed 10 threes on 21 attempts, a 47% shooting clip. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 22 free throws, shooting 81%. Penn State did limit second-chance opportunities, giving up just 4 offensive rebounds.
Are Iowa Ready for a Home Win?
Iowa dropped to 12-7 on the season after a 72-67 home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes were -8.5 favorites going into the game but couldn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 139, falling short of the 150.5 O/U line.
After trailing 32-28 at halftime, Iowa scored 39 points in the 2nd half but allowed 40, unable to make a comeback.
Iowa’s offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 3 of 21 threes for a 14.3% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 45.9% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 49.2%. Inside the arc, they were much more effective, making 62.5% of their two-point attempts.
Owen Freeman and Payton Sandfort each scored 21 points, with Freeman shooting 71.4% from the field. Sandfort made just 1 of 8 threes, finishing with a 12.5% shooting percentage from deep. Femi Odukale also had a strong game, hitting 5 of 8 shots overall and making his only three-point attempt.
Even with Iowa allowing 72 points, their defense struggled to contain shots inside the arc, giving up a 62% shooting rate on two-pointers, as the opposing team went 25/40. However, Iowa did manage to limit damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponents to just 3/21 shooting from three-point range, a 14% success rate.
From the free-throw line, Iowa sent the other team to the stripe 12 times, where they converted 8 of those attempts, shooting 66%. Iowa also gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.