No. 15 Iowa and 18-1 Drake hope some quality time at home will boost their NCAA Tournament resumes.
Both teams are coming off road losses in the state of Indiana on Sunday. Iowa sportsbooks favor the Hawkeyes and Bulldogs to both get back on track Wednesday night.
- First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000, or Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
- 30% Extra on Same Game Parlay Profit
- Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER 21+
- Use Bonus Code: PLAYIA
BetRivers set the early line for Iowa at -6 over No. 25 Rutgers (11-6, 7-6). The tip is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be carried on the Big Ten Network. PlayIA has the live odds for every college basketball game.
Rutgers vs. Iowa odds
The Hawkeyes tumbled seven spots in the Associated Press poll after losing four of five. Indiana completed a season sweep of the Hawkeyes with the 67-65 win Sunday in Bloomington. Armaan Franklin‘s 15-foot jump shot in the closing seconds sealed the win for the Hoosiers.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said junior G/F Joe Wieskamp was “the right guy” to guard Franklin as he went up for the shot:
“Wiesy has size, and it’s a tie game and the last thing he wants to do is foul. He wants to make him make a contested, tough two. You have to tip your hat to him, he made it.”
The Scarlet Knights come to Iowa City on a four-game winning streak, including a 76-72 win Thursday over Minnesota. The game featured 22 lead changes. Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told reporters:
“That was an old-fashioned grinder. I’m proud of our team for getting our fourth straight league win.”
Joe Lunardi, of ESPN, projects Iowa as a four seed in his bracketology released Tuesday. Rutgers is a six seed. BetMGM has Iowa as +1800 to reach the Final Four.
Drake winning streak ends
Drake is closer to the bubble in Lunardi’s projections after a 74-57 loss Sunday at Valparaiso snapped its 18-game win streak. The Bulldogs fell out of the AP Top 25 with the loss. They are an 11 seed in Lunardi’s latest bracket at ESPN.
Drake coach Darian DeVries told reporters:
“They’ve had 18 games where they were pretty good and (Sunday) we weren’t good enough. League play is hard. There are a lot of good teams and it’s a tough league. Valpo is one of them.”
The Bulldogs host Northern Iowa at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the CBS Sports Network. Betfred Sportsbook gives Drake a 9.5 point edge in the game.
UNI vs. Drake odds
UNI (6-12, 4-8) is coming off a 70-67 win Sunday over Indiana State. UNI didn’t take a second-half lead until 1:54 left in the game. Noah Carter littered the stat sheet against the Sycamores with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Drake is +1000 on the moneyline to reach the Final Four, according to FanDuel. Northern Iowa will need to win the Missouri Valley Conference automatic berth at Arch Madness to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The moneyline for the Panthers to reach the Final Four is +10000.
