Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines Prediction, 2/25/2021 College Basketball Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021

Location: Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, MI

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Iowa (+3.5)

The Michigan Wolverines (16-1) host the Iowa Hawkeyes (17-6) at Crisler Center on Thursday. The odds on this contest have Michigan as 3.5-point favorites. The O/U has been set at 157.5.

Iowa heads into this contest with a win-loss mark of 17-6 for the year. They lose possession by turning the ball over 9.7 times per contest and as a team are committing 15.3 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Iowa is snagging 41.1 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 450 assists on the season, which ranks 2nd in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Hawkeyes are hitting 40.3% on shots from beyond the arc (234 of 580) and 71.3% from the charity stripe. They average 86.4 pts per game (3rd in Division 1) while shooting 47.6% from the field. When they are on the defensive end, the Hawkeyes are forcing 11.7 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 19.7 fouls. The Hawkeyes are giving up a field goal percentage of 40.9% (612 of 1,495) and they surrender 37.4 boards per game as a group. They are currently ranked 342nd in college basketball in giving up assists with 378 relinquished this year. They give up 34.7% on 3-point attempts while they are 243rd in the country in opponents PPG (72.8).

The Iowa Hawkeyes played the Penn State Nittany Lions and earned the victory with a final of 74-68 in their last contest. Iowa ended with a 44.8% field goal percentage (26 of 58) and made 10 of 25 shots from beyond the perimeter. When they shot from the free throw line, the Hawkeyes made 12 of 22 attempts for a rate of 54.5%. Regarding getting rebounds, they collected 41 with 9 of them being offensive. They also recorded 19 assists in this game as well as earning 5 steals and 3 blocked shots. With regard to defense, Iowa allowed the other team to go 44.8% from the field on 26 out of 58 shooting. Penn State recorded 13 dimes and had 10 steals in the matchup. In addition, the Nittany Lions pulled down 34 rebounds (7 offensive, 27 defensive) and added 3 blocks. Penn State ended up shooting 76.5% at the charity stripe by burying 13 of their 17 shots. They converted 11 of their 33 attempts from beyond the perimeter.

Luka Garza is a player who was a contributor in the matchup. He left the arena with 23 points on 8 out of 16 shooting. He played for 33 minutes and grabbed 11 rebounds. Garza finished the game at 50.0% from the floor and recorded 2 assists. Another guy that was a major factor in this contest for the Hawkeyes was CJ Fredrick. He wrapped this game up without a rebound in his 28 minutes on the court. He finished the game at 70.0% from the field for this contest by shooting 7-of-10 (18 points). When the final whistle was blown, Fredrick earned 2 assists.

Michigan has a win-loss record of 16-1 so far this year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Wolverines are connecting on 50.2% from the field, which is ranked 21st in the nation. Michigan has accounted for 1,346 pts for the year (79.2 per game) and they pull down 38.9 boards per contest. They are earning an assist 16.8 times per contest (24th in D-1) and they are turning it over 12.1 times per game. The Wolverines are committing 14.8 fouls per contest and they go 76.7% from the free throw line. The Wolverines defensively are ranked 70th in college basketball in points allowed per game with 66.2. They are forcing 10.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 38.5% from the field (4th in college hoops). The Michigan defense allows 33.1% on shots from 3-point land (119 of 360) and their opposition knocks down 75.6% of their free throw attempts. They allow 10.2 dimes and 30.6 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 21st and 23rd in Division 1.

In their last game, the Michigan Wolverines walked away with a victory by a final of 92-87 when they played the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Wolverines were able to snag 19 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive rebounds for a total of 28 in this game. They turned away 2 tries while earning 2 steals in the game. The Buckeyes had 17 personal fouls for this game which took the Wolverines to the free throw line for 24 attempts. They were able to knock down 19 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 79.2%. Pertaining to 3-point shots, Michigan knocked down 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8%). When the final whistle was blown, the Wolverines shot 31 out of 58 from the field which had them sitting at 53.4%. The Wolverines permitted the Buckeyes to make 32 out of their 60 tries from the field which had them sitting at 53.3% for the contest. They finished 50.0% from downtown by shooting 11 of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 12 of 13 at the free throw line (92.3%). In reference to attacking the glass, Michigan permitted Ohio State to get 24 overall (5 offensive).

Hunter Dickinson ended up being a factor for the Wolverines for this game. He converted 8 out of 14 in the game for a rate of 57.1%, and totaled 9 rebounds. Dickinson earned 22 points in his 29 minutes on the hardwood and had 2 dimes for the contest. Another guy who was a determining factor for Michigan was Eli Brooks. He walked away with 1 assist in 35 mins on the court, and he knocked down 5 of 9 from the floor. Brooks finished going 55.6% from the floor and also earning 17 points and 2 boards.

Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Iowa (+3.5)

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