The No. 8-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (20-7) will finish out the regular season on the road when they face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes (18-11) at Value City Arena. The game begins at 4:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and will air on CBS.
The Buckeyes are hoping to rebound after their 81-62 loss to Michigan State in their last matchup. Marc Loving was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 19 points. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 67-59 loss to Wisconsin in their last outing. Peter Jok had a game-high 21 points.
Over the last five games, Jok has been on a tear for the Hawkeyes. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.2 three-pointers.
The Buckeyes look to build on their records of 18-11 Straight Up (SU) and 15-14 Against The Spread (ATS). Ohio State has averaged 76.3 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 70.6. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the country with an average of 27.7 per game.
On the other side, the Hawkeyes have records of 14-12 ATS and 20-7 SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 68.0 PPG, below their 79.3 PPG season average. The Hawkeyes are shooting very well so far with a .388 three-point field goal percentage that ranks 24th in Division I. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Hawkeyes. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.58. Iowa’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents shooting only .304 from the three.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, Iowa won, but the win was not enough to overtake Ohio State in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent meetings. On the other hand, Iowa holds the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa
Notes
Ohio State averages 70.6 points per game, placing the team just 186th in the nation. Iowa ranks 88th in points allowed, giving up 68.6 points per game.
Ohio State scores just 72.7 points per home game (ranked 195th). Iowa ranks 100th in points allowed on the road, giving up 72.7 points.
Ohio State lost its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Iowa is 7-0. Ohio State is 7-4 in blowouts this season.
The Iowa Hawkeyes rank 23rd for their offensive rating of 115.4. The Ohio State Buckeyes have a defensive rating of 98.1 (ranked 50th).
The Ohio State Buckeyes average a field goal percentage of 44.4% this season. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a subpar record of 2-7 when opponents have a FG% of 44.4% or greater.
The Ohio State Buckeyes rank higher based on their field goal percentage (166th) than their effective field goal percentage (189th). The Iowa Hawkeyes rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (71st) than their field goal percentage (97th).
Iowa ranks 38th in assists, recording 15.9 per game. Ohio State performs worse at 293rd with 11.6 assists per game.
Ohio State ranks 76th in rebounds per game with 38.4 and Iowa ranks 71st with 38.4 rebounds per game.
Ohio State ranks 36th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Iowa ranks 99th.
Ohio State averages a forced turnover rate of 17.6% this season. Iowa has a 2-3 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
