While it doesn’t involve ranked teams, there is a good Big Ten matchup on deck for Saturday, March 2, as Northwestern hosts Iowa. Neither team enters this matchup ranked, but the Wildcats currently sit in third place in the Big Ten standings behind No. 2 Purdue and No. 13 Illinois. Tipoff from Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois is set for 5:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on the Big Ten Network.
Iowa (17-12, 9-9 Big Ten) comes into this game off a 90-81 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions. This will be the Hawkeyes’ first matchup against the Wildcats this season. Iowa comes in ranked No. 60 in the NCAA’s Division 1 NET rankings. The Hawkeyes have the 12th-most efficient offense per KenPom, likely due to forward Payton Sandfort and guard Tony Perkins combining for 30.8 points per game.
Northwestern (20-8, 11-6 Big Ten) has won three games in a row and five of its last six. The Wildcats have three games to go, all against teams lower than them in the conference standings. Northwestern is ranked No. 48 over based on the NET rankings and has the eighth-best three-point percentage, according to Ken Pom. All four of the Wildcats’ top scorers connect on at least 34.8% of their three-point attempts.
Iowa vs. Northwestern odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Northwestern -3
Total: 152
Moneyline: Northwestern -166, Iowa +140
The Wildcats come into this game with momentum and are playing at home. They haven’t lost on their home court since a surprise upset to Chicago State back in mid-December. Iowa lost its last road game last week by 10 to No. 12 Illinois. The Hawkeyes have an advantage with the duo of Sandfort and Perkins, but the Wildcats have deeper guard play in Boo Buie, Brooks Branhizerm, Ryan Langborg and Ty Berry. Unless Northwestern goes ice-cold from beyond the arc, they should hold strong at home.