Iowa Hawkeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 2/8/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions

Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024

Location: Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA

TV: BTN

The Penn State Nittany Lions (11-11) host the Iowa Hawkeyes (13-9) at Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday.

The Iowa Hawkeyes stepped onto the hardwood against Ohio State and walked away with a win by a score of 79-77 in their last game. With respect to fouls, the Hawkeyes ended up finishing with 16 while Ohio State accounted for 18 fouls. They also made 7 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc. Ohio State ended up going 76.2% at the free throw line by making 16 of their 21 shots. On top of that, Ohio State grabbed 28 rebounds (12 offensive, 16 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Ohio State totaled 13 dimes and had 4 steals for this game. In regard to the defense, Iowa allowed the other team to go 45.8% from the field on 27 of 59 shooting. They also recorded 14 assists in this matchup as well as forcing 8 turnovers and getting 5 steals. With regard to getting rebounds, they earned 26 with 6 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Hawkeyes buried 18 of 22 shots for a percentage of 81.8%. Iowa finished with a 54.7% FG percentage (29 out of 53) and buried 3 of 10 shots from distance.

Tony Perkins is someone who had an impact for the matchup. He racked up 20 points on 6 out of 12 shooting. He saw the court for 33 mins played and pulled down 7 rebounds. He went 50.0% from the floor and distributed 4 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Basketball Picks Tonight

Iowa heads into this matchup with a win-loss record of 13-9 so far this year. They are averaging 84.2 points per contest (16th in the nation) while shooting 47.6% from the field. The Hawkeyes are shooting 34.3% on three-point attempts (148 of 431) and 77.3% from the free throw line. As a unit, Iowa is grabbing 36.5 boards per game and is sitting with 402 assists this season, which ranks 10th in college basketball in terms of passing the ball. They are giving up possession 9.8 times per game and as a squad they commit 16.2 fouls on a nightly basis.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes have forced 13.0 turnovers per game and they draw 17.5 personal fouls. They are giving up 33.6% on 3-point shots and they are 315th in college basketball in PPG from their opponents (77.2). The Hawkeyes defensively are allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 44.7% (618 of 1,382) and they surrender 37.5 rebounds per game as a basketball team. They rank 284th in D-1 in giving up assists with 319 relinquished on the season.

The last time they took the court, the Penn State Nittany Lions got the victory with a final of 85-71 against Indiana. The Nittany Lions were able to corral 14 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 21 for the contest. They gave up possession of the ball 6 times, while recording 7 steals for the matchup. Indiana was called for 13 fouls in this game which got the Nittany Lions to the free throw line for 16 attempts. They were able to knock down 11 of the free throw tries for a clip of 68.8%. In relation to 3-pointers, Penn State converted 12 of their 22 tries (54.5%). Overall, the Nittany Lions shot 31 for 54 from the field which gave them a rate of 57.4%. The Nittany Lions permitted Indiana to make 25 of 52 attempts from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 48.1% in the game. They wrapped up this game 26.3% from three-point range by shooting 5 out of 19 and ended up shooting 16 out of 19 at the charity stripe (84.2%). Concerning how they rebounded, Penn State permitted Indiana to grab 27 in total (10 on the offensive glass).

Ace Baldwin ended up being a factor for the Nittany Lions for the game. He made 8 out of 14 in this matchup for a field goal percentage of 57.1%, and accounted for 2 rebounds. He accumulated 22 points in his 40 minutes on the court and had 8 dimes in the game.

Penn State has a mark of 11-11 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Nittany Lions are hitting on 43.9% from the floor, which has them ranked 234th in the nation. Penn State has earned 1,671 points so far this season (76.0 per contest) and they pull down 32.0 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 12.1 times per game (278th in the nation) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 10.7 times per contest. The Nittany Lions have committed 18.3 fouls every game and they go 73.8% from the charity stripe.

The Nittany Lions defensively are ranked 228th in college hoops in PPG surrendered with 73.3. They are able to force 15.7 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 45.8% from the floor (316th in the country). The Penn State defense concedes 30.9% on 3-point attempts (130 of 421) and opponents are making 76.0% of their free throw shots. They give up 14.8 assists and 37.4 total boards per game, which is ranked 315th and 302nd in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Penn State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here