Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction, 3/2/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024

Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL

TV: BTN

Welsh-Ryan Arena is where the Northwestern Wildcats (20-8) will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (17-12) on Saturday.

The Iowa Hawkeyes stepped onto the hardwood against Penn State and walked away with a win by a score of 90-81 in their last game. Iowa walked away from the game having earned a 47.2% FG percentage (25 of 53) and knocked down 8 out of their 16 3-point attempts. At the charity stripe, the Hawkeyes buried 32 of their 37 tries for a rate of 86.5%. In regard to rebounding, they compiled a total of 31 with 4 of them being offensive. They also recorded 22 assists for the contest while forcing 10 turnovers and earning 6 steals. Concerning defense, Iowa allowed their opponent to shoot 45.1% from the field on 32 out of 71 shooting. Penn State doled out 14 dimes and had 8 steals for this game. Additionally, Penn State collected 37 boards (11 offensive, 26 defensive), but didn't have a block. Penn State walked away from this one shooting 56.5% at the free throw line by knocking down 13 of their 23 attempts. They also made 4 of their 17 attempts from beyond the perimeter. When it comes to fouls, the Hawkeyes walked away with 20 and Penn State recorded 23 fouls.

Payton Sandfort is someone who was a major contributor in this matchup. He ended up walking away with 26 points on 3 out of 11 shooting. He played 37 minutes played and also pulled down 10 rebounds. He finished 27.3% from the field and also dished out 10 dimes.

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Iowa will enter this game with a mark of 17-12 for the year. They average 83.7 points per outing (14th in college basketball) while hitting 47.9% from the field. The Hawkeyes are connecting on 34.0% on 3-pointers (183 of 538) and 78.5% from the free throw line. As a unit, Iowa is grabbing 35.7 rebounds per contest and has earned 510 assists for the season, which is 8th in college basketball in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 9.9 times per game and as a squad they commit 16.8 fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end, the Hawkeyes are forcing 12.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 17.6 fouls. They are conceding 35.1% on shots from beyond the arc and they are ranked 336th in college basketball in points per game from their opponents (78.8). The Hawkeyes defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 45.4% (819 of 1,805) and they relinquish 36.8 boards per game as a basketball team. They currently rank 341st in college basketball in allowing assists with 439 relinquished on the year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Northwestern Wildcats walked away with a victory by a final of 68-61 against Maryland. When discussing rebounding, Northwestern permitted Maryland to get 30 in total (10 offensive). They finished shooting 9.1% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 2 out of 22 and finished the contest at 17 out of 24 at the free throw line (70.8%). The Wildcats allowed Maryland to convert 21 of their 54 attempts from the field which left them with a rate of 38.9% in this game. When all was said and done, the Wildcats finished shooting 19 out of 41 from the floor which had them at 46.3%. Pertaining to three-point shots, Northwestern knocked down 2 out of their 13 tries (15.4%). They were able to bury 28 of the free throws for a percentage of 90.3%. Maryland earned 23 personal fouls in the matchup which took the Wildcats to the free throw line for 31 attempts. They also coughed up the ball 8 times, while getting 2 steals for this contest. The Wildcats were able to corral 28 defensive boards and 3 offensive rebounds for a total of 31 in this matchup.

Nick Martinelli ended up being important for the Wildcats in this game. He made 9 out of 14 in this matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 64.3%, and had 7 rebounds. He accumulated 27 points in his 39 minutes on the hardwood, but finished this game without an assist.

Northwestern has a mark of 20-8 on the season. The Wildcats are responsible for committing 18.3 fouls per game and they go 74.5% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 15.7 times per game (45th in the country) and they cough up possession 9.0 times per game. Northwestern has earned 2,078 points on the campaign (74.2 per contest) and they grab 31.5 boards per contest. As an offensive team, the Wildcats are shooting 45.8% from the floor, which ranks them 119th in the country.

The Northwestern defense concedes 35.5% on 3-pointers (193 of 544) and their opponents are connecting on 72.0% of their free throw shots. They have given up 13.5 dimes and 33.1 total boards per game, which is ranked 249th and 92nd in Division 1. The Wildcats on defense are ranked 95th in college basketball in points allowed per contest with 69.0. They have forced 12.9 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 45.0% from the floor (262nd in college basketball).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Iowa

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