The No. 16-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (12-3) travel to Michigan State to play the No. 4-ranked Spartans (16-1) in a game that has the potential to be high-scoring. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 14 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Spartans won big over Penn State 92-65 on Sunday. Bryn Forbes led all scorers on the team with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 77-66 win over Nebraska on Tuesday. Jarrod Uthoff led the game in scoring with 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
Mike Gesell has been on a tear over the last five games for the Hawkeyes, averaging 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.6 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as Michigan State ranks 13th in the nation in offensive efficiency (118.9), while Iowa is 18th (116.9). Also, the Hawkeyes’s 18th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 116.9) will face off against the 10th-ranked defense of the Spartans (defensive efficiency of 90.3).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Hawkeyes won the first game 83-70. Gesell was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points.
Michigan State is a seven-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 144 points. The Spartans are attempting to build on their records of 16-1 Straight Up (SU) and 10-6 Against The Spread (ATS). Michigan State has the second-most assists in Division I, averaging 21.1 per game. Transitioning to the Michigan State defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Spartans, who have the best opponent field-goal percentage in the country at .359. An area where the Spartans are particularly strong is defensive rebounding where they average 30.9 per game, second in Division I.
Across the court, the Hawkeyes head into the game with records of 7-5 ATS and 12-3 SU. The Hawkeyes rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the sixth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.73.
Following the Hawkeyes’ latest win over Michigan State, Iowa is still behind in the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 1-9 SU. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, Michigan State has the advantage ATS. Michigan State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five games, while Iowa wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – MSU, ATS Winner – MSU, O/U – Over
Notes
Michigan State is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Michigan State’s last 9 games.
Michigan State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Michigan State’s last 6 games at home.
Michigan State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Iowa.
The Iowa Hawkeyes stand undefeated at 3-0 SU against the Big Ten Conference. The Michigan State Spartans have a winning record (3-1) in the conference.
The Michigan State Spartans rank 13th for their offensive rating of 118.9. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a defensive rating of 96.3 (ranked 62nd).
The Iowa Hawkeyes average 69.6 possessions per game and 1.169 points per possession. The Michigan State Spartans earn fewer possessions with 67.6, but they score more points with 1.189.
The Iowa Hawkeyes average an effective field goal percentage of 53.9% this season. The Michigan State Spartans are a perfect 1-0 in games where opponents have an eFG% of 53.9% or greater.
Michigan State ranks among the best in the nation in assists at second (21.1 assists per game). Iowa is ranked 17th with 17.9 assists per game.
Iowa ranks among the best in the nation in blocking at sixth (6.5 blocks per game). Michigan State is ranked 16th with 5.6 blocks per game.
Michigan State ranks 80th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Iowa ranks 72nd.
On average, Michigan State makes 4.5 steals per game. Iowa has a stellar 11-2 record when it gives up at least 4 steals.
