No. 21 Wisconsin hosts No. 14 Iowa in college basketball betting action tonight. The Badgers are coming off of a disappointing loss, but they can turn things around with a statement win over the Hawkeyes here.
Keep reading our Iowa vs. Wisconsin picks and predictions for a closer look at what should be an extremely exciting game! Tipoff is set for Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers betting preview
Injuries
Iowa: G CJ Fredrick (questionable)
Wisconsin: F Ben Carlson (out), G Walt McGrory (out)
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in its last four games following an ATS loss. Find more NCAA betting trends for Iowa vs. Wisconsin.
NCAAB sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonThis line is a fence-jumper at FanDuel, which opened Iowa a modest 1.5-point chalk, moved to Wisconsin -1 overnight and then spent most of the day at Wisconsin -2. As of 4:30 p.m. ET, the Badgers remain -2, even though the Hawkeyes are attracting 70 percent of bets and 61 percent of money on the point spread. The total opened 145, peaked at 146.5 early and is now at its low of 144.5, with 55 percent of bets on the Over and 52 percent of money on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameAgainst the spread (ATS) pick
Wisconsin is coming off a disastrous loss to Michigan, as the Badgers had a double-digit lead and were unable to finish the job. Wisconsin’s offense was absolutely miserable in the second half, and the team has now lost three of its last five games. If Greg Gard’s group is going to find the magic that helped the team win a share of the Big Ten last year, it’s going to start with them beginning to hit shots. And fortunately for Wisconsin, this matchup with Iowa should help the team find some confidence.
There’s no denying that the Hawkeyes have one of the best teams in basketball, and their trio of Luka Garza (24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds per game), Joe Wieskamp (15.4 points per game) and Jordan Bohannon (10.0 points per game) is as good as any in the country on the offensive end. Garza is an absolute load in the post, where he uses deep, early positioning to get himself easy looks around the basket. Meanwhile, the other two are elite shooters.
The issue for Iowa in this one is that the team is just 108th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (all efficiency stats according to KenPom.com). That’s just a really, really bad number, and should inspire hope for a Wisconsin team that desperately needs to build some confidence. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes are going to have to find a way to efficiently score the basketball against a Badgers team that ranks ninth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.
For what it’s worth, Gard is really good at making adjustments. He should have his team ready to go after that disappointment against the Wolverines.
PREDICTION: Wisconsin -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
Surprisingly, each of Iowa’s last three games has gone Under the total, and that’s despite the Hawkeyes scoring 83.5 points per game in each of their last two. Their totals are just set at extremely high numbers because of how potent their offense is, and now they face a Badgers team that has gone Under the total in three of its last four. Even if Iowa does win this game, asking them to score at least 75 against this Wisconsin team is tough. The Badgers should be able to pester them into more misses than usual tonight.
PREDICTION: Under 145.0 (-110)
Iowa vs Wisconsin betting card
- Wisconsin -1.5 (-110)
- Under 145.0 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Iowa vs. Wisconsin picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college basketball?
You can bet on college basketball odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NCAA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for college basketball betting in your area.
