Ohio State vs. Iowa Predictions, Odds

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

7 minute read

• February 4, 2021
• By Joe Williams
• VegasInsider.com

The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes in a huge Big Ten game. Tip for this top 10 clash is set for 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.

BETTING RESOURCES

• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Conference: Big Ten
• Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
• Location: Iowa City, Iowa
• Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021
• Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
• TV: ESPN
• Bet: BetMGM | FanDuel | FOXBet |DraftKings | Best Sportsbooks

WHERE TO BET OHIO STATE- IOWA

• Iowa
• Michigan
• Illinois
• West Virginia
• Virginia
• Indiana
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Colorado

Ohio State-Iowa Betting Odds

• Spread: Iowa -5
• Money-Line: TBD
• Total: 158.5

Odds Subject to Change

The Buckeyes hit the road in this Top 10 battle as 5-point underdogs. The line in this slipped from an open of five, to four, and back up to five again. The total opened at 160.5 and has since plummeted a full bucket to 158.5.

Ohio State arrives on a three-game win streak, having administered a 17-point beatdown to Michigan State in Columbus on Jan. 31 last time out. In its most recent road game, Ohio State hammered Wisconsin 74-62 in Madison, winning outright as 5.5-point underdogs, a similar situation to the one they face on Thursday. The Buckeyes have won and covered three in a row on the road.

Iowa also played Michigan State on Tuesday night, posting an 84-78 win as they failed to cover a nine-point number. That helped them bounce back from a rare home loss against Indiana on Jan. 21, falling 81-69 as 10-point favorites.

The Hawkeyes have dropped two of their past three games, and they are on an 0-3 ATS slide. That follows up a 5-0 SU/4-1 ATS run from Dec. 29-Jan. 17. As a favorite of 5.5 or fewer points, the Hawkeyes are 2-1 ATS in three tries this season.

Betting Analysis – Ohio State Buckeyes

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 14-4
• ATS: 10-7-1
• SU - Home: 10-1
• SU - Away: 4-3
• O/U: 10-8

Ohio State is 1.5 games back of first-place Michigan in the Big Ten standings. Both of these teams are likely headed to the NCAA Tournament, and a loss to a fellow Top 10 team wouldn't be the end of the world. Still, the Buckeyes are looking to finish the season strong. They have been good at home, but just so-so on the road.

The Buckeyes are 3-3 SU/3-2-1 ATS across the past six games on the road, all inside the conference, so they could use a signature win to build up conference away from home.

E.J. Liddell has led the way for Ohio State, posting a team-best 15.3 PPG while also leading the way with 6.9 RPG. He is one of three scorers with double digits, as Duane Washington Jr. (14.5 PPG) and Justice Sueing (10.9 PPG) are also in the club.

The Buckeyes rank 67th in the nation with 77.1 PPG, and they're a good free-throw shooting team. They rank 25th in the country with a 76.7 percent from the charity stripe. They allow 67.7 PPG to rank 113th in defensive scoring average.

Betting Analysis – Iowa Hawkeyes

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 13-4
• ATS: 10-7
• SU - Home: 10-1
• SU - Away: 3-3
• O/U: 11-6

Iowa slapped the brakes on a two-game mini skid with an 84-78 win over Michigan State as a nine-point favorite. The Hawkeyes have posted a 6-2 SU/4-4 ATS mark over the previous eight outings.

Iowa has superstar Luka Garza, who has rolled up 26.5 PPG with 8.8 RPG, 1.7 BPG and 1.6 APG in his 17 games this season. Joe Weiskamp has managed an impressive 14.2 PPG to provide a secondary scoring average, while also grabbing 6.2 RPG with 1.4 APG. They're the only two Iowa players averaging double digits in points.

Garza was particularly impressive against the Spartans last time out, going for 27 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. It was his third double-double across the past four outings. He has gone for 22 or more points in seven of the past 10, and he is averaging 9.5 RPG over the previous four.

The Iowa offense is second in the country with 89.4 PPG, and they're a solid 31st in field-goal percentage (48.4) and 34th in 3-pointer percentage (38.2). On the defensive end, the Hawkeyes have struggled a bit. They're allowing 74.4 PPG to rank just 270th in the country, although they're 122nd in defensive field-goal percentage at 42.0.

Inside the Stats – Ohio State Buckeyes

• PS/G: 77.1 (67th)
• PA/G: 67.7 (115th)
• Off Rtg: 114 (16th)
• Def Rtg: 100.1 (208th)

Inside the Stats – Iowa Hawkeyes

• PS/G: 89.4 (2nd)
• PA/G: 74.4 (270th)
• Off Rtg: 122.6 (2nd)
• Def Rtg: 102 (238th)

Key Players to Watch

• OHST - Duane Washington (14.5 PPG)
• OHST - E.J. Liddell (15.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG)
• IOWA - Luka Garza (26.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG)
• IOWA - Joe Wieskamp (14.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG)

Ohio State-Iowa Predictions

The Buckeyes have been impressive against the good teams, going 5-1 ATS in their past six outings against teams with a winning overall record. They're 5-2 ATS across the past seven games overall, too.

The Hawkeyes look to hold serve on their home floor and stay in the hunt for the Big Ten title. Iowa has won 10 of 11 games at Hawkeye-Carver Arena, with their lone loss in Iowa City coming against Indiana on Jan. 21, 81-69. The Hawkeyes are 0-3 ATS in their past three games, and 4-5 ATS across the past nine outings.

As far as the total is concerned, it's all 'over' all the time for Ohio State lately. The over is on a 5-2 run for the Buckeyes, and 4-1 in their past five outings on the road. The over is also 4-1 in their past five tries against winning sides. For Iowa, the under is 4-1 in the past five at home, but the over is 13-6 across their past 19 games overall.

• Score Prediction: Iowa 78, Ohio State 75
• Best Bets: Ohio State +5
• Best Bets: Under 158.5

Why Bet at WynnBet?

Why Not is the appropriate answer! For starters, WynnBet is an "Independent Sportsbook" and it differentiates itself from the competition.

WynnBET sports betting covers all the most popular options, from football to cricket. It offers betting markets for college and professional sports, focusing on US leagues such as the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL.

For mobile users, the numerous selections on the Betting App at your disposal is more impressive. Most notably, you'll get to enjoy in-play wagering, which is unavailable in the land-based establishment.

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff