It has been a few years, but the Iowa Hawkeyes are finally back in the action of March Madness with a return to the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes bounced back in Ben McCollum’s first season as the head coach and punched a ticket to the dance.
Up first for the No. 8-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes (21-12) is a test. They are taking on the No. 9-seeded Clemson Tigers (24-10) from the ACC in a matchup that sees all signs pointing to it being tight the entire way.
If you are looking for some betting advice for the matchup, we’ve got you covered. Here are the latest odds for the game, courtesy of DraftKings.
Iowa vs. Clemson betting odds
College basketball odds via DraftKings
Iowa vs. Clemson prediction, pick
To say this game is going to be played at a snail’s pace may be disrespectful to snails across the globe. This game is going to have incredibly few possessions, with each one gaining more and more focus and pressure as this thing carries on.
Iowa is No. 348 in field goals attempted, while Clemson is No. 308 in the same category. These teams want to play in the halfcourt and drain the clock. Where Iowa does gain an advantage is in the shot-making category. Clemson is No. 175 in overall field goal percentage, No. 118 in two-point percentage, and No. 180 in three-point percentage.
Iowa sits at No. 21, No. 19, and No. 85 in those respective categories. What also helps Iowa is having the best player on the court in this game with legitimate tournament experience. Clemson has guard RJ Godfrey (11.9 PPG) and forward Carter Welling (10.2 PPG), but lacks someone like Bennett Stirtz.
Iowa’s point guard averages 20 points per game, but also runs this offense to perfection and controls a game as few players in college basketball can. His tournament experience is vital, as well, as the moment won’t be too big. He led Drake to an upset over Missouri last year, scoring 21 points, and followed that up with 21 more against Texas Tech in the second round.
In a game that lacks many possessions, is likely low-scoring, and feels the pressure turn up down the stretch, give me the squad with the proven veteran guard to make enough plays late to get it done.
Prediction: Iowa 66, Clemson 62
Best Bet: Iowa -2.5
How to watch Iowa vs. Clemson
Time: 5:50 p.m. CT
TV Channel: TNT
Streaming: Fubu
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Iowa basketball vs. Clemson: March Madness betting odds, prediction
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
