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How and what to watch for No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 3 Michigan

The Hawkeyes and Wolverines will battle each other in a Big Ten showdown on Thursday night.

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Michigan Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson defended by Ohio State Buckeyes forward E.J. Liddell during the first half at Value City Arena. Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 9-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes will play the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines in an epic Big Ten battle on Thursday 7 p.m. ET. This will be some can’t miss college basketball.

The Hawkeyes (17-6, 11-5 Big Ten) have won four-straight games after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 74-68 on Sunday. Luka Garza, who became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer, had a double-double consisting of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Garza is averaging 24.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. Iowa has a record of 6-3 against ranked opponents.

The Wolverines (16-1, 11-1 Big Ten) have also won five consecutive games and 11-straight at home. Michigan is coming off a 92-87 victory over the No. 4-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday. Center Hunter Dickerson led the way for the Maize and Blue with 22 points (8-14 FG, 6-6 FT) and nine rebounds. This season, Dickerson is averaging 15 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The Wolverines will be looking to capture another ranked win as they have in five out of their last six contests in the brutal Big Ten.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Iowa vs. Michigan on Thursday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Michigan -5
Point Total: 156.5
Money line: Iowa +180, Michigan -225

  • Despite the Hawkeyes winning four-straight games, they are 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games. The point total has gone under in five of Iowa’s last six games this season.
  • The Wolverines have been an outstanding play ATS this season with a record of 9-2 in their last 11 games. The point total has gone under in five of Michigan last seven games when they are the favorite.

The Best Bet

It’s been hard to bet against the Wolverines this season, who have been one of the best teams in the country. Michigan has a record of 8-3 at home this season and played well against ranked opponents (5-1). Meanwhile, Iowa went through a stretch earlier this month, where there was a ton of bad beats. The Hawkeyes are 1-2 against the spread when they are underdog. It should be a fun game between Dickerson and Garza in the paint, and it will be up to whomever steps up on the perimeter.

Pick: Michigan -5

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