Best Bets for Purdue vs Iowa on FOX

• The No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers are slight 2.5-point favorites over the Iowa Hawkeyes
• The Boilermakers have won five straight in this head-to-head
• See below for my Purdue vs Iowa prediction and best bets

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Tied for third in the Big Ten, the 13th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (20-4, 10-3 Big Ten) look to keep up with the top teams as they battle the always-tough Iowa Hawkeyes (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten).

Purdue has won five straight in this head-to-head, and are road favorites in the college basketball odds, but Iowa is playing good ball, and should be feeling feisty after an upset loss to Maryland that snapped a 6-game win streak.

Actions tips off Saturday at 5pm ET from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, in Iowa City, with FOX carrying the broadcast.

Purdue vs Iowa Odds & Betting Lines

Odds as of Feb 14. New customers can claim a FanDuel promo code to get a bonus to bet on college basketball.

The Boilermakers are 2.5-point road favorites, with the odds paying out at -110 on both ends, ditto for the total, which is set for 141.5.

Taking Purdue to win outright pays out at -152 odds, while picking an Iowa upset pays out at a cool +126.

Purdue vs Iowa Prediction

• Over 141.5 points (-110) at FanDuel

After a lackluster performance in a 4-point win over lowly Oregon, the Boilermakers showed why they’re sitting seventh in the latest March Madness odds, knocking off the 7th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers 80-77 in overtime.

That moved the Boilermakers to 5-2 in games against ranked opponents, and earned them their second road win against at Top 10 team this season.

Their offense is promising, ranking fourth in the Big Ten putting up 82.8 points per game, and their shooting splits hold up with some of the top teams in the nation, shooting 50.3% from the field (16th), while hitting from three-point range at a 37.7% clip (28th).

Powered by point guard Braden Smith, Purdue is one of the best passing teams in college basketball, ranking fourth in assists at nearly 20 per contest.

That will all be put to the test by Iowa and that trademark tough defense. The Hawkeyes come into the game leading the Big Ten in scoring defense at 64.3 points allowed per game, which also ranks 20th in the nation.

While that defense has taken a toll on a bunch of teams, Iowa still hasn’t beaten a ranked team yet this season, going winless in those games, and Purdue representing the fifth ranked opponent of the season.

Iowa vs Ranked Teams This Season

They’re also coming off a disappointing loss to Maryland, a game where they could only muster 25% shooting from 3-point range (7-for-28) and were out-rebounded 34-25.

The Hawkeyes also could not stop fouling, sending Maryland to the charity stripe 11 more times and losing the free-throw battle by six points.

The Hawkeyes just cracks the Top 100 in scoring at 77.8 points per game, and they’re 10th in the nation in shooting from the field and a 37.2% rate from 3-point range — splits that rank better than those of Purdue.

That’s why it’s easy for me to take the Over in my Purdue vs Iowa prediction.

During Purdue’s win streak over the Hawkeyes, the teams have blown by the 141.5 total five straight times, and combined to top that figure in eight of the last 10 overall.

One of those wins was against these same Hawkeyes, a 79-72 victory where the Boilermakers had to erase a 9-point deficit to keep that winning streak.

Those betting on Iowa should be taking advantage of the ultra-low totals and smashing that Over button. The Over has cashed in five straight Hawkeyes’ games, with the total ranging anywhere from 133.5 points up to 141.5.