UMBC Retrievers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction, 12/20/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UMBC Retrievers vs Iowa Hawkeyes

Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA

TV: BTN

Carver-Hawkeye Arena is the site where the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-5) will take on the UMBC Retrievers (5-8) on Wednesday.

The UMBC Retrievers stepped onto the hardwood against St. Peter's and went home with a loss by a final score of 66-60 in their last game. UMBC finished the contest having earned a 47.9% field goal percentage (23 of 48) and knocked down 5 of 17 3-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Retrievers buried 9 of their 18 attempts for a rate of 50.0%. Concerning rebounding, they earned 35 with 8 of them being of the offensive sort. They also recorded 10 assists in this contest in addition to forcing the opposition into 6 turnovers and earning 3 steals. Regarding defense, UMBC allowed the other team to go 31.9% from the floor on 22 of 69 shooting. St. Peter's distributed 6 dimes and had 14 steals for this contest. Additionally, St. Peter's pulled down 38 rebounds (17 offensive, 21 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. St. Peter's finished the contest at 71.4% at the charity stripe by knocking down 20 of 28 attempts. They also converted 2 of 21 attempts from distance. When it comes to fouls, the Retrievers ended up finishing with 18 and St. Peter's finished the game with 14 fouls.

Dion Brown is someone who played a role for the matchup. He recorded 24 points on 8 out of 16 shooting. He saw the court for 37 minutes and also totaled 8 rebounds. He ended up going 50.0% from the field and recorded 4 assists.

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UMBC comes into this contest with a record of 5-8 this year. They have an average of 78.4 points per game (111th in the country) while going 46.4% from the floor. The Retrievers are hitting 34.2% on shots from 3-point land (96 of 281) and 67.9% from the free throw line. As a team, UMBC is pulling in 36.7 boards per contest and has accounted for 167 dimes so far this season, which has them ranked 99th in the nation in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 14.5 times per game and as a squad are committing 17.1 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Retrievers are able to force 12.5 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.9 fouls. They are ranked 251st in college hoops in giving up assists with 147 surrendered on the season. The Retrievers are giving up a FG percentage of 45.5% (388 of 852) and they surrender 39.0 rebounds per game as a squad. They are giving up 31.2% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 355th in the nation in points per game allowed (82.3).

In their last game, the Iowa Hawkeyes went home victorious with a score of 88-52 when they played Florida A&M. The Hawkeyes were able to corral 39 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 46 in this game. They gave up possession of the ball 15 times, while earning 11 steals in this matchup. Florida A&M committed 19 personal fouls in the matchup which got the Hawkeyes to the charity stripe for a total of 20 shots. They were able to knock down 10 of those for a rate of 50.0%. Pertaining to shooting from distance, Iowa converted 10 of 26 tries (38.5%). At the conclusion of this game, the Hawkeyes shot 34 out of 63 from the field which gave them a percentage of 54.0%. The Hawkeyes allowed Florida A&M to make 19 of their 63 tries from the field which had them sitting at 30.2% for the matchup. They went 33.3% from beyond the arc by shooting 5 of 15 and finished the contest at 9 of 13 at the free throw line (69.2%). In regard to how they attacked the glass, Iowa allowed Florida A&M to pull down 28 in all (6 offensive).

Owen Freeman was important for the Hawkeyes for the matchup. He racked up 14 points in his 19 minutes on the court and added 1 assist in the game. He converted 6 of 9 for the matchup for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and had 11 rebounds.

Iowa has a mark of 6-5 for the campaign. As an offensive team, the Hawkeyes are connecting on 47.4% from the field, which is 73rd in the nation. Iowa has accounted for 936 points so far this season (85.1 per contest) and they grab 38.5 rebounds per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 18.2 times per game (18th in college basketball) and they cough up possession 10.5 times per contest. The Hawkeyes are committing 15.8 personal fouls every game and they connect on 74.6% from the free throw line.

The Hawkeyes on the defensive end are ranked 311th in the country in PPG surrendered with 77.2. They are able to force 13.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 43.6% from the field (231st in college basketball). The Iowa defense allows 32.4% on three-point shots (84 of 259) and opponents are knocking down 71.6% of their shots from the free throw line. They have given up 14.1 assists and 38.1 rebounds every game, ranking them 282nd and 311th in Division 1.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Iowa

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