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Each team in this game is 5-6 in Big Ten play, so Thursday night will bring someone to .500. The Iowa Hawkeyes (13-9; 9-13-0 ATS) hope it will be them, while the Penn State Nittany Lions (11-11; 10-12-0 ATS) will rely on their home crowd to give them a boost. At 7:00 p.m. EDT, Bryce Jordan Center will be pulling for a Penn State victory. Are the Nittany Lions going to succeed, or is Iowa ready to rip the hearts out of their faithful fans?
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Iowa had a date with Ohio State at home last Friday, and they left with a 79-77 win. Tony Perkins had 20 points, seven boards, and four assists (all team highs) in the victory. The Hawkeyes tend to rely on a fast pace (16th per KenPom) and an offensive that's explosive enough to match it. Iowa puts up 84.2 points per game on 47.6% shooting. They hit 34.3% of their threes and 77.3% of their free throws. They only turn the ball over 9.8 times per game. Stopping Iowa's offense is tough for most teams.
Friendly reminder: We're back hoopin' tomorrow night#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/yKuKs15z01
— Iowa Men's Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 7, 2024
Where the Hawkeyes get into trouble is on the defensive end of the floor, especially on the road. When Iowa travels, their foes shoot 49.4% from the floor despite only a 31.7% clip on threes. Iowa also allows 23.9 free throw attempts per game on the road. Traveling doesn't help a Hawkeyes team that's -0.9 in rebounding margin regardless of the venue this season. They typically win turnover battles (+3.1), but Iowa isn't stopping anyone from scoring on the road.