The No. 4-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (19-5) look to extend their 12-game home winning streak when they take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-18), who have dropped seven in a row on the road. The game gets underway at 7:30 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 14 and will air on BTN.
The Hawkeyes fell to Indiana 85-78 on Thursday. Jarrod Uthoff finished with 24 points to lead the game. The Golden Gophers, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-74 loss at the hands of Michigan on Wednesday. Nate Mason had a team-high 19 points.
The high-octane offense of Iowa (16th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 116.5) will square off against the porous defense of Minnesota (285th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 108.4), a matchup that should favor the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes look to build on their records of 19-5 Straight Up (SU) and 14-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hawkeyes have no trouble scoring as they rank 26th in the nation in offense with 80.5 points per game. Iowa is excellent from the perimeter, shooting a stellar .397 from three-point range. Spreading the ball around is a huge part of Iowa’s offense. They are 27th in the nation in assists with an average of 16.4 per game. Iowa has left their fans wanting more on the defensive side recently. The Hawkeyes have given up an average of 77.3 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 68.1 PPG. The Hawkeyes prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 11th in the nation with a .297 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. An area where the Hawkeyes are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.5 blocks per game, 18th in Division I. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Iowa offense, which averages just 9.9 turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Golden Gophers have 6-18 SU and 7-15 ATS records. During the last 10 games, they averaged 78.9 PPG, above their 69.2 PPG season average. Taking care of the basketball is something the Golden Gophers do very well, averaging just 10.8 turnovers per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference foes played, Minnesota won, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Hawkeyes have the advantage ATS. Iowa held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Minnesota never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa
Notes
Iowa averages 80.5 points per game (ranked 26th). Minnesota, on the other hand, allows 74.5 points per game (ranked 195th).
Iowa scores 81.7 points per home game (ranked 46th). Minnesota ranks a poor 172nd in points allowed on the road, allowing 76.7 points.
Ranked 16th, the Iowa Hawkeyes have an offensive rating of 116.5. The Minnesota Golden Gophers rank 285th with a defensive rating of just 108.4.
On average, Iowa has 69.1 possessions per game and scores 1.165 points on each possession. Minnesota has both fewer possessions (68.3) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.014).
The Iowa Hawkeyes average an effective field goal percentage of 53.4% this season. The Minnesota Golden Gophers have an underachieving record of 1-9 when opponents have an eFG% of 53.4% or greater.
Iowa ranks 27th in assists, registering 16.4 per game. Minnesota performs worse at 232nd with 12.6 assists per game.
The Iowa Hawkeyes average 5.5 blocks per game, the 18th-ranked team in the country. The Minnesota Golden Gophers rank a lowly 127th in blocking with just 3.8 per game.
Minnesota ranks 293rd in offensive rebounds, while Iowa ranks at 82nd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Minnesota forces a turnover rate of 17.8%. When Iowa turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 2-1 record.
