Iowa vs Ohio State Picks and Odds (Feb. 3)

• No. 16 Ohio State is a 4.5-point favorite over Iowa on Thursday
• Iowa is 1-3 straight up and ATS in its last four games
• Read below for the Iowa vs Ohio State odds, analysis and a betting prediction

No. 16 Ohio State (13-5, 6-3 Big Ten) is a 4.5-point home favorite over Iowa in a Big Ten game at 8 pm ET Thursday on FS1, It is the only meeting between the two this season.

Iowa (14-7, 4-6 Big Ten) has lost three of its last four and is 7-7 since opening the season with seven straight victories. The Hawkeyes are 0-4 against ranked teams, 1-3 ATS.

Iowa vs Ohio State Odds

Odds from BetMGM on Feb. 2.

Ohio State is a 4.5-point home favorite against Iowa with the total set at 153.5, the highest total the Buckeyes have seen this season. The Buckeyes are -200 on the moneyline, meaning they have a 66.7% implied with probability. Iowa is +165 on the moneyline, which translates into a 37.7% implied win probability.

Ohio State is clinging to a spot among the top-20 title favorites in the NCAA Tournament odds, sitting at +4750. Iowa has faded to +10000 after starting the season at +4000.

Ohio State Comeback

The Buckeyes showed resilience the last time out, overcoming a 20-point deficit with 14:35 remaining at No. 4 Purdue before falling 82-79 on Jaden Ivey’s three-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining Sunday, breaking a three-game winning streak.

EJ Liddell hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 33.8 seconds, the second tying the game, before Purdue won on its last possession.  Liddell and Malaki Branham had 20 points apiece.

The Buckeyes have improved their ball-handling since a loss to Wisconsin on Jan. 13, committing only 29 turnovers in the last four games, six in each of the last two. Off guard Branham has one turnover in 146 minutes in his last five games.

Ohio State dropped to 3-5 against Quad 1 opponents, with victories against Seton Hall, Duke and Wisconsin. Iowa is 2-5 against Quad 1 foes

Buckeye Branham Stepping up

Freshman guard 6’5 Malaki Branham has become the Buckeyes’ second-leading scorer behind EJ Liddell with a surge over the eight January games.

😤 @MalakiBranham stuffs it home off the long pass from @EasyE2432 @OhioStateHoops fans love to see it 🤝 pic.twitter.com/hVogiFFI5m

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 30, 2022

Branham had a career-high 35 points against Nebraska on Jan. 2 and is averaging 16.0 points and shooting 50.6 from the floor in the last eight, with a 24-point game at Northwestern and 20 against Purdue on Sunday.

Barnham has helped the Buckeyes overcome the loss of expected key contributor Justice Sueing, who has missed the last 16 games because of an abdominal injury.

Iowa vs Ohio State Head-to-Head Results

The series is tied, remarkably, at 82-82, and the teams have split the last 12 meetings dating to 2013-2014. Iowa posted a 73-57  victory in Columbus last season, when each team won on the other’s home court.

The Buckeyes are 4-3 straight and ATS in the last seven in the series, and 3-1 straight up and ATS in the last four at home. The game has gone under the total in four of the last five in Columbus.

Betting Trends

Ohio State had a three-game winning streak broken in its last-second loss at Purdue and is 3-1 ATS in its last four. The Buckeyes are 3-1 straight up and ATS after a loss, covering in victories over Seton Hall, Duke and Northwestern. Iowa is 3-3 straight up and ATS after a loss.

Iowa in a Funk

The loss of national player of the Luka Garza and three other rotation mainstays did not seem to be an issue when the Hawkeyes ran off seven straight victories to open the season, capped with 75-74 win at Virginia on Joe Toussaint’s short bank shot with eight seconds remaining in the Big Ten/ACC challenge.

The Hawkeyes have big-time struggled since, even with 6’8 Keegan Murray and his league-leading 22.3 scoring average.

The Hawkeyes’ best victory in the last two months has been an 83-74 home win over Indiana on Jan. 13, They are 0-4 against ranked teams, 1-3 ATS.

Two of their recent losses were to Rutgers and Penn State, the latter a 90-86 double overtime defeat in Happy Valley on Monday in which they shot 35.1 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 53-43. To be fair, the Hawks missed some makeable shots late at Penn State, but they are shooting only 41.7 percent in league play, 30.8 percent from distance.

Big Ten POY Candidates Here

Ohio State’s EJ Liddell and Iowa’s Murray are listed at +1800 to win the Wooden Award by DraftKings, Liddell is the fifth choice at +1200 by BetMGM, which also lists Murray at +1800.

Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn have shorter odds than Liddell and Murray on both sites, and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis is listed at +1600 by BetMGM.

In addition to leading the Big Ten in scoring, Murray is fifth in the league in rebounds (8.3) rebounds. Liddell is averaging 19.7 points and 7.5 rebounds. Murray is shooting 55.1 percent from the field, just ahead of Liddell (51.5). Liddell has 2.6 blocked shots per game, one slot ahead of Murray (2.1).

5️⃣ MORE MINUTES!

Keegan Murray puts it back just before the buzzer to send @IowaHoops to OT at Penn State. pic.twitter.com/6zlWwUhhMC

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 1, 2022

Iowa Lineup Change?

Iowa senior reserve forward Connor McCaffery (shoulder contusion) will not play, coach Fran McCaffery hinted that changes in the starting group could be forthcoming, Iowa fell behind Purdue 21-9 and Penn State 15-5 in its last two game.

Keegan Murray, Toussaint, Jordan Bohannon and Filip Rebraca have started all 21 games. Toussaint and Jordan Bohannon were 0 of 11 from the field in the loss to Penn State, when the bench scored 24 first-half points. Forward Kris Murray and guards Tony Perkins and Ahron Ulis have played well off the bench.

Iowa vs Ohio State Prediction

There is not much to like about Iowa’s recent resumè except Keegan Murray. The Hawkeyes (with Garza) won here last year, but the Buckeyes are the better team and are playing better at the moment. Things can change, but until they do … Ohio State’s comeback against Purdue is something to build on.

The pick: Ohio State -4.5 (-110)

Check Thursday’s college basketball public betting trends for any significant line movement.