Cornhuskers vs Hawkeyes Preview: Big Ten Teams Meet
Can Nebraska Avoid Letdown After Beating Purdue?
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-3) take to the court for the first time since beating Purdue on Tuesday. They’ll have another tough task ahead of them as they face the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-6). Iowa enters the game off its first Big Ten victory of the season against Rutgers. Both NCAAB teams like to get up and down the court, so the game could be an entertaining one. The Cornhuskers vs Hawkeyes preview shows Iowa as 4.5-point favorites, and the total on the game is at 166.
Cornhuskers vs Hawkeyes 
Day/Time:
Location: Carver Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Nebraska Shoots Plenty of 3s
The Cornhuskers are averaging 78.4 points per game against teams, allowing 71.4 points. Nebraska shoots 44.8% from the field, but 45% of its shot attempts are 3-pointers. The ‘Huskers average 9.6 made 3-pointers per game, shooting 35.5% from long range. Nebraska hits 52.6% of its 2-point attempts and shoots 75% from the foul line.
Defensively, Nebraska isn’t bad, holding teams who average 74 points per game to 67.6 points. Teams are shooting 39.2% against the Cornhuskers and just 31.4% on 3-pointers. Nebraska doesn’t allow many offensive rebounds and does a decent job forcing turnovers.
The Cornhuskers haven’t played a very tough schedule, although their schedule ranking has climbed considerably since Big Ten play started. Nebraska is 10-6 against the spread and in totals. The Cornhuskers traditionally are a much better team at home.
Nebraska is just 1-2 against the spread on the road this season and was 9-14 the previous two seasons. The win over Purdue gave the Cornhuskers a bit of recognition and saw their college basketball odds to win the NCAA Basketball Tournament drop slightly to +10000.
Hawkeyes to Overcome Slow Start
Iowa didn’t get off to quite the start it envisioned, splitting its first 10 games to begin the season 5-5. The Hawkeyes have won three of their last four games to move to 9-6.
But the college basketball standings have Iowa 1-3 in Big Ten play, so the Hawkeyes need to get things turned around. The offense is there, it’s the defense that can be a little rough at times.
Iowa averages 86.7 points per game against teams, allowing 72 points. The Hawkeyes aren’t the greatest shooting team around, but their tempo and lack of turnovers mean plenty of shot attempts. Iowa is shooting 47.5% for the season, making 34.5% of 3-pointers and 53.2% of its 2-point field goals.
On defense, the Cornhuskers vs Hawkeyes preview shows Iowa allowing 77.6 points per game to teams averaging 76.8 points. But a lot of that is due to the pace Iowa likes to play at. Teams are shooting 44.1% against the Hawkeyes, but Iowa allows 35% on 3-pointers. So, the outside defense isn’t quite there.
What to Expect
With Iowa, you know you’re going to get a fast-paced game. The Hawkeyes are No. 6 in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted pace ratings and take an average of 14.7 seconds per possession. Iowa has 10 NCAAB players averaging at least 10 minutes a game.
Nebraska is a little more conventional but still averages just 16 seconds per possession, which is No. 47 in the country. The Cornhuskers are No. 139 in adjusted pace ratings. Teams are averaging 18.6 seconds per possession against Nebraska, which is the key reason why the pace rating is higher.
Nebraska will take its share of 3-point field goals against Iowa. That’s likely to be the key to the game. The Cornhuskers score 36.6% of their points from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes score just 24.2% of their points from downtown.
Who to Bet On?
The point spread moved from Iowa -3.5 to Hawkeyes -4.5 early Friday morning. Nebraska could be showing the effects of its win over Purdue in the early stages of this NCAAB game. We’ve already seen good teams fall apart on the road after pulling a big upset. Florida Atlantic lost to Florida Gulf Coast outright as a 17.5-point road favorite after beating Arizona. So, it’s not the greatest of spots for the Cornhuskers.
The Cornhuskers vs Hawkeyes preview notes Nebraska’s strength in 3-point shooting is the weak link of the Iowa defense. If the shots are falling, Nebraska could have a solid game from the outside. The Cornhuskers aren’t bad from inside the paint, but the Hawkeyes defend inside better than the outside.
The spread is a bit on the high side. But it depends on the mindset of the Cornhuskers coming into the game. It could be a close contest if Nebraska can put the last game behind and focus on tonight’s game.
Iowa is 7-1 in totals at home this season and 33-10 over the past three years. The Hawkeyes are 8-2 in totals as a favorite this season and 41-21 the last three season.
With Nebraska 30-17 in conference totals the past three seasons, the over 166 should be one of your NCAAB picks for Friday. It’s a lofty number, but both teams are capable of putting up some points.
For NCAAB betting news, NCAA basketball schedule, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
