The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, IA. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
Iowa is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. The total is set at 167 points.
Here are my Penn State vs. Iowa predictions and college basketball picks for January 24, 2025.
Penn State vs Iowa Prediction
My Pick: Iowa -2.5 (Play to -3)
My Penn State vs Iowa best bet is on the Hawkeyes spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Penn State vs Iowa Odds, Spread
| Penn State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 167 -110o / -110u | +150 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 167 -110o / -110u | -180 |
- Penn State vs Iowa spread: Iowa -3.5
- Penn State vs Iowa over/under: 167 points
- Penn State vs Iowa moneyline: Iowa -180, Penn State +150
- Penn State vs Iowa best bet: Iowa -2.5 (Play to -3)
My Penn State vs Iowa NCAAB Betting Preview
Penn State earned a much-needed win this past Monday, snapping a four-game losing streak with an eight-point home victory over Rutgers.
Meanwhile, Iowa is looking to snap its losing streak after dropping three straight, including a disastrous five-point home loss to Minnesota. The Hawkeyes are now 3-5 in conference play behind the league’s worst defense.
While the Hawkeyes' defense is lifeless, they’re also getting unlucky. Their eight conference opponents have shot a whopping 41% from 3, which is likely unsustainable in the long run. ShotQuality projects that opponents should shoot closer to 35% based on the “quality” of attempts allowed.
So, Iowa is a little undervalued and in a perfect bounce-back spot against a Penn State team in a potential letdown spot. The situation screams Hawkeyes.
From a schematic perspective, Penn State runs an aggressive, press-happy, hard-hedging defense that attempts to deny the dribble and force turnovers at the point of attack. However, the scheme has a downside: The Nittany Lions' aggressive hedging will allow plenty of open weak-side catch-and-shoot jumpers.
Well, Iowa never turns the ball over (14% turnover rate in conference play, first in the Big Ten, per KenPom), and the Hawkeyes’ secondary-based motion offense is perfect for circumventing a hard-hedging defense, as they create a ton of high-quality catch-and-shoot looks.
On the other end of the court, Penn State’s ball-screen-centric attack should take advantage of Iowa’s lackluster ball-screen coverage.
However, the situational spot is too good for the Hawkeyes, and their offense matches up perfectly with the Penn State defense.
Not to mention, Iowa is always a wagon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, as it's shooting over 62% from inside the arc and over 40% from beyond the 3-point line in 12 home games this season.
