Penn State vs. Iowa Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Feb. 27 (Back the Nittany Lions)
Two teams with work to do for a March Madness bid square off Tuesday night. Penn State’s been up-and-down this season, starting February with a three-game winning streak, followed by a three-game losing streak before winning a pair of games last week. The Nittany Lions notched a Quadrant 1 win with a 90-89 upset of No. 12 Illinois and are big underdogs Tuesday against Iowa.
The Hawkeyes, projected as one of the next four out by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, couldn’t buy a stop on defense in Saturday’s 95-85 loss to Illinois. Iowa returns home for two of its final three regular-season games, trying to bolster a better seed for the Big 10 tournament. Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s Big 10 tilt with a best bet.
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Penn State vs. Iowa Odds, Spread and Total
Penn State vs. Iowa Betting Trends
- Penn State is 14-14 ATS this season
- Iowa is 11-17 ATS this season
- Penn State is 10-6 ATS as an underdog this season
- Iowa is 7-9 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 17-10-1 in Penn State games this season
- The OVER is 18-10 in Iowa games this season
Penn State vs. Iowa How to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 27
- Game time: 9 p.m. EST
- Venue: Carver Hawkeye Arena
- How to watch (TV): Big 10 Network
- Penn State record: 14-14 (8-9 Big 10)
- Iowa record: 16-12 (8-9 Big 10)
Penn State vs. Iowa Key Players to Watch
Penn State
Ace Baldwin Jr: Penn State has had a different leading scorer in three consecutive games and it was Baldwin’s turn in the Nittany Lions' 83-74 victory over Indiana on Saturday. The 6-foot-1 senior guard poured in 23 points and finished one assist shy of a second-straight triple-double. Baldwin is second on Penn State in scoring (14.2 points per game) and is third in the Big 10 in assists (5.7).
Iowa
Josh Dix: The 6-foot-5 sophomore guard averages 7.8 points per game but a hot and cold season hit a high note in Saturday’s loss to Illinois when Dix scored 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Dix has put up 39 points over the last three games and is shooting 17-of-29 from the field over that stretch.
Penn State vs. Iowa Prediction and Pick
It’s not a shocker this matchup has the highest total on Tuesday’s board as both of these teams can light up, having combined to go 35-20-1 to the over this season. In the first matchup between these two teams - an 89-79 Penn State victory in University Park on Feb. 8 - both teams shot over 50% from the field, but the difference came at the free-throw line, where Penn State held a 31-10 advantage on attempts.
That night, Iowa went just 4-of-15 from 3-point range and committed 18 turnovers. Those are two categories Penn State excels in, ranking No. 22 in turnover percentage, No. 24 in steal percentage, and No. 26 in KenPom in defending shots from beyond the arc. Iowa should have better ball security with a venue switch, but neither of these teams are elite from downtown with Iowa ranking No. 196 and Penn State No. 201.
Penn State’s defense is No. 106 in efficiency and defending the perimeter and creating takeaways is what they do best. The Nittany Lions struggle mightily on the glass, but Iowa does, too, ranking ninth in the Big 10 in offensive rebounding and 13th in defensive. Penn State’s perimeter defense matches up well against an Iowa squad that assists on 57% of its made field goals (No. 54 in the nation). The Nittany Lions have thrived in the underdog role (10-6 ATS) this season while Iowa has the second-worst ATS mark (11-17) in the conference. Back Penn State as a road underdog.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.