The Michigan Wolverines head to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes in NCAA basketball action on Thursday night.
The Hawkeyes have won three games in a row and college basketball betting lines opened with them installed as 5.5-point home favorites for this Big Ten clash.
Here are our best college basketball picks and predictions for Michigan vs. Iowa for Thursday, February 17, with tipoff at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Michigan vs Iowa odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line opened with Iowa installed as a 5.5-point favorite with the Over/Under at 151. Early money has come in on the Under, shifting the total to 150.5 as of 9:30 a.m. ET.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Michigan vs Iowa predictions
Predictions made on 2/17/2022 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Michigan vs Iowa game info
• Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA
• Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Michigan at Iowa betting preview
Injuries
Michigan: No injuries to report.
Iowa: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 19-6-1 in the Hawkeyes last 26 games overall. Find more NCAA betting trends for Michigan vs. Iowa.
Michigan vs Iowa picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The Hawkeyes are on a three-game winning streak, albeit against the three worst teams in the conference in Nebraska, Maryland, and Minnesota. They are now 17-7 SU (14-10 ATS) but have won 13 of 15 games at home.
Iowa is fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom and is led by versatile forward Keegan Murray who averages 23.3 points per game on 57/37/75 shooting. Three other Hawkeyes are scoring in double-digits and the team turns the ball over on just 12% of their possessions — the lowest rate in the country.
The Michigan Wolverines are fresh off a 68-57 loss at home to Ohio State and are 3-3 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
Interestingly, their two best performances during that span came against the No. 5 ranked team in the country when they hung tight with Purdue on the road two weeks ago before clobbering them by 24 points in Ann Arbor last Thursday.
The Wolverines are 20th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency but they have been shooting the ball very inconsistently lately. Within the last three weeks, they shot 41% from the field and went just 4-17 from beyond the arc against Ohio State, posted a 31 FG% versus Penn State, and had a 37 FG% against Michigan State.
The Wolverines have a 44 FG% on the road, compared to a 50.2 FG% at home and if they go cold for stretches tonight they won't be able to keep up with a high-powered Iowa offense that doesn't make mistakes.
With Iowa going 6-2 ATS in its last eight games as a home favorite and Michigan 2-5 ATS in its previous seven contests on the road, back Iowa to win and cover.
Prediction: Iowa -5.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Hawkeyes are fourth in the country in scoring with 84 ppg with that number jumping up to 88.3 ppg at home. They've also been one of the best Over teams in the nation going 17-6-1 O/U on the year.
While Michigan has struggled to score at times on the road, this is still a very capable offense. The Wolverines are led by 7-foot center Hunter Dickinson who averages 18.1 ppg and 8.2 rpg with a 56.7 FG% and will be a matchup nightmare for Iowa inside.
The Wolverines average a respectable 72.8 ppg in conference play and have shown the ability to put up big scoring numbers against subpar defensive teams.
Michigan is 11-5 O/U in its last 16 games while going 6-2 to the Over in its previous eight contests on the road. Take the Over.
Prediction: Over 150.5 (-110)
Best bet
Both of these teams can fill up the net and have shown cracks defensively with Iowa ranking just 121st in adjusted defensive efficiency and Michigan ranking 88th.
With a pair of high-scoring offenses and poor play on the other end of the floor, it's little surprise that both squads have been very profitable for Over bettors.
And while the Wolverines typically play at a slower pace they have a tendency to get sucked into the tempo of whoever they are facing. With the total set at a reasonable 150.5, we're grabbing the Over.
Pick: Over 150.5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed our Michigan vs. Iowa picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our college basketball parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
