Iowa vs Wisconsin Odds, Lines and Spread
- No. 11 Iowa has recovered from a mini-slump and has won two in a row entering a Big Ten road game at Wisconsin at 7:00 pm ET Thursday
- No. 21 Wisconsin let a 14-point lead slip away in a 67-59 home loss to No. 3 Michigan in its most recent outing Sunday
- Check the odds, analysis, and betting predictions below
No. 11 Iowa (15-6, 9-5 Big Ten) has won five games against AP Top 25 teams, tied for the most in the nation, and the Hawkeyes have a chance to add to that total in a Big Ten road game against No. 21 Wisconsin (15-7, 9-6) on Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET.
Iowa beat Michigan State 88-58 in its last game Saturday, handing the Spartans their worst home loss in the Tom Izzo era.
Iowa vs Wisconsin Odds, Lines and Spread
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Hawkeyes | -105 | -1.5 (-115) | 146 (Over-110) |
| Wisconsin Badgers | +105 | +1.5 (-105) | 146 (Under-110) |
Odds from FanDuel on Feb 17.
The Hawkeyes lost four of five games in a challenging stretch that began Jan. 21, falling twice to Indiana and once to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Illinois, before recovering to beat Rutgers and Michigan State in their last two outings.
Wisconsin was outscored 10-2 in the final three minutes of its Sunday home loss to Michigan, which became the first team to sweep a season series from the Badgers since 2017-18.
Garza Still Overwhelming Player of the Year Favorite
Garza’s team may have struggled a bit in the last three weeks, but Garza appears to have cemented his claim on the Naismith Trophy, powers of magnitude ahead of Baylor’s Jared Butler, Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu, and Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert.
Six-foot-11 senior Garza continues to lead Division I in scoring at 24.5 points per game, and he leads the Hawkeyes with 8.4 rebounds per game.
Garza has the peripherals as well. He is shooting 56.2% from the field and has shown increased range in his final season, making 28 of 65 three-point attempts for a career-high 43.1%.
Garza is the only Big Ten player with 2,000 points, 800 rebounds, 125 blocked shots, and 100 three-pointers in his career, and he is the only Power Six player with those numbers since 1992-93 season.
Some Teams Have Found a Way Around Luka
Big Ten opponents, whether it was the game plan or not, have found that the more Garza shoots, the better their chances. Garza has attempted at least 20 field goals in four Big Ten games and the Hawkeyes are 2-2 in those, having lost the two in which he shot the most.
Garza had 32 points on 11-of-27 shooting in a 102-95 overtime loss to Minnesota on Christmas Day, and he scored 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting in a 81-69 loss to Indiana on Jan. 21. The Hawkeyes had two of their three worst shooting games of the season in those, when his surrounding cast was a combined 29 of 93 (31.2%).
The absence of Hawkeyes’ outside threat CJ Fredrick, a 6’3 guard, appears to have been a factor. Fredrick has missed four games and played sparingly in two others after suffering a lower leg injury Jan. 7. He did not play against Michigan State, and his status for Wisconsin is unknown.
Frederick has made 26 of 53 three-pointers this season, 49%, and is career 47% shooter from distance. Six-eight freshman forward Keegan Murray has scored 33 points in his four starts in place of Fredrick.
Forward Joe Wieskamp is the Hawkeyes’ second-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, and he had 47 points in the two victories last week while being named Big Ten player of the week.
Wisconsin Following a Consistent Path In Big Ten Play
Since winning eight of its first nine, including their first two in the Big Ten, the Badgers have followed a discernible pattern.
Wisconsin is 8-6 straight up and 7-7 ATS since a Dec. 25 victory at Michigan State, with no winning streak longer than two games and no losing steak longer than one. The Badgers have covered every game they have won in that time except for an 80-73 victory against Indiana on Jan. 7 in which they were favored by nine.
The Badgers have split their previous eight straight up and ATS. They may need more from their frontcourt against Garza than they got against Michigan, when neither 6-11 center Nate Reuvers nor 6’10 Micah Potter had a rebound. They average a combined 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Hawks, Badgers Have Taken Different Roads to the KenPom Top 14
The game matches KenPom heavyweights that have used divergent paths to reach the top of the charts.
Iowa is No. 4 ranked in adjusted efficiency margin, No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and 107th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Wisconsin, 14th in adjusted efficiency margin, is more balanced. The Badgers are 31st in offensive efficiency and 10th in defensive efficiency.
Both teams are helped by their low turnover ratio. Wisconsin is averaging 9.2 turnovers per game, second in NCAA Division I, and Iowa is third at 9.4 per game. The Hawkeyes are on pace to set a school season record. The Hawkeyes lead Division I in fewest turnovers ranks per offensive play, 11.1%.
The Badgers are holding opponents to 40.3% shooting from the field per game and they are plus-3.0 in turnover margin. Iowa is shooting 47.6% from the field and is averaging 87.4 points per game, while Wisconsin is limiting foes to 62.6 points per game.
By the Numbers
Wisconsin has won eight of the last 11 in the series, although the Hawkeyes have won three of the last five in a series that is not always played twice a year.
Wisconsin has four won the last five and 13 of the last 15 in the Kohl Center. The Badgers are 5-0 after a loss this season.
The pick: Wisconsin: +1.5 (-105)
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
