Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Picks, Predictions, Odds

Jan. 3, 2022
Dan Dobish
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The Maryland Terrapins (8-4, 0-1) travel to meet the Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3, 0-2) on Monday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on Big Ten Network.

Score Prediction

Iowa 81, Maryland 71

Best Bets

Iowa -7.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Predictions

The Terrapins jump back into conference play with a tough road trip to Iowa City against the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten opener didn't go according to play, as the Terps fell 67-61 against Northwestern as 5.5-point favorites on Dec. 5 as the UNDER connected. Maryland has bounced back with three straight wins, including a nice neutral-site win against Florida on Dec. 12 as six-point underdogs. They also won last time out against Brown, covering an 11.5-point number in an 81-67 win. Four players went for 15 or more points, including Eric Ayala, who weent for 22 points and eight boards. Overall, Maryland hit 49% (28-of-57) from the field, including 23% (3-of-13) from behind the 3-point line. The Terps were especially strong from the charity stripe, hitting 81% (22-of-27).

The Hawkeyes have dropped the first two conference games, so something's gotta give in this one. One of these teams will get their first conference win, while someone is going to have a big hole to crawl out of.

Iowa stepped back out of conference for the past four, and the Hawkeyes are on a three-game win streak after its three-game skid from Dec. 3-9. That includes an impressive neutral-floor win over Utah State on Dec. 18, a 93-62 rout of SE Louisiana and a 92-71 win over Western Illinois last time out. Keegan Murray hit 13-of-20 from the floor, ending up with 29 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots with three steals in his 35 minutes. Payton Sandfort came off the pine to go a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc, ending up with 13 points and five rebounds.

Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Odds

  • Maryland +275
  • Iowa -350
  • Maryland +7.5 (-110)
  • Iowa -7.5 (-110)
  • Over 151.5 (-110)
  • Under 151.5 (-110)

More Odds | Futures Odds

Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Resources

  • Matchup: Big 10
  • Date: Monday, January 3, 2022
  • Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
  • Location: Iowa City, Iowa
  • TV-Time: BTN - 9:00 p.m. ET

Maryland Terrapins Betting Analysis

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

  • SU: 8-4
  • ATS: 4-8
  • O/U: 4-8

The Terps head into this one after an 81-67 win over Brown last time out on Dec. 30, covering an 11.5-point number. That's important to know, because Maryland hasn't had consecutive covers since Feb. 21-28, 2021 last season in victories at Rutgers and at home against Michigan State. These teams met last season in College Park, and the Terps were manhandled by Luka Garza and the Hawkeyes by an 89-67 score as 5.5-point underdogs. Garza has moved along, but the Hawkeyes are fierce again, and the Terps now have to play in their place.

The Terps are just 4-9 ATS across the past 13 games overall, while going 3-7 ATS in the past 10 after a straight-up victory. And as mentioned, Maryland hasn't been able to stack covers, going 0-6 ATS in the past six after an ATS win. In terms of the total, the UNDER has hit in 20 of the previous 28 games overall for Maryland, while going 5-2 ATS in the past seven following a straight-up win and a cover.

Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Analysis

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

  • SU: 10-3
  • ATS: 9-4
  • O/U: 9-3-1

Iowa heads into this one averaging 93.0 PPG across the past three games, going for at least 92 points in each outing. The OVER is 2-0-1 in the three-game span.

However, the Hawkeyes have lost each of their Big Ten games to date, falling by seven at Purdue on Dec. 3, and by four points at home against Illinois on Dec. 6. The OVER hit in the home game against the Illini, and is 7-1-1 in nine games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena so far this season. The OVER is 11-3-1 in the past 15 games overall, too, while going 21-8-1 ATS in the past 30 games in I-City across the past couple of seasons. The OVER is also 7-2-1 in the past 10 following a cover.

The Hawkeyes have cashed in five of the past six games at home, while going 7-2 ATS in the past nine games overall. The Hawkeyes are also 6-0 ATS in the past six after a straight-up win, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six following a cover.


Maryland has covered just four of the past 13 games overall. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Maryland Terrapins

  • Record: 8-4
  • VI Ranking: 43
  • PS/G: 70.3 (223rd)
  • PA/G: 65.8 (116th)
  • ORtg: 100.8 (221st)
  • DRtg: 94.4 (122nd)

Inside the Stats - Iowa Hawkeyes

  • Record: 10-3
  • VI Ranking: 31
  • PS/G: 87.9 (2nd)
  • PA/G: 70.2 (225th)
  • ORtg: 121.2 (2nd)
  • DRtg: 96.7 (179th)

Key Players to Watch

  • MARY: Eric Ayala - G (14.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 31.2 3P%)
  • MARY: Donta Scott - F (11.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 BPG)
  • IOWA: Patrick McCaffery - F (11.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 30.3 3P%)
  • IOWA: Keegan Murray - F (23.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.4 APG)

Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Conclusion

Maryland picked up a nice win over Florida on Dec. 12, and since the holiday break and some COVID postponements, the Terps got well against a couple of lower-level teams from Lehigh and Brown. That's well and good, and Maryland has built a little momentum for its long trip. But it's back to reality in the Big Ten, and that reality is going to be ugly for Maryland in this one.

The Terps are going to have their hands full with Keegan Murray, as he is an absolute beast who can do it all for the Hawkeyes. He has back-to-back double-doubles with 24.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG in the past two games, and he has 20 or more points in each of the past three outings. Look for Iowa to hold serve as hope and pick up its first conference victory at the expense of the erratic Terrapins.

Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Trends

  • Maryland is 4-9 ATS in the past 13 games overall.
  • Maryland is 0-6 ATS in the past six following a non-cover.
  • Iowa is 7-2 ATS in the past nine games overall.
  • Iowa is 5-1 ATS in the past six home games.
  • The UNDER is 20-8 in the past 28 games overall for Maryland.
  • The OVER is 11-3-1 in the past 15 games overall for Iowa.
  • The OVER is 21-8-1 in the past 30 home games for Iowa.