Iowa (9) vs. Nebraska (4) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Sweet 16 Odds
With the Houston Cougars in their hometown for the Sweet 16, expect to see a lot of red at the Toyota Center on Thursday – and not just because of the Cougars.
The fourth-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers, after authoring the first two tournament victories in school history, face No. 9 seed Iowa, fresh off defeating No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida, in a South Region semifinal and Big Ten rubber match at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday night.
Braden Frager’s layup with 2.2 seconds remaining propelled the Cornhuskers to a 74-72 victory over Vanderbilt, while Alvaro Folgueiras’s three-pointer with 4.5 seconds left stunned the Gators as Iowa won, 73-72, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Nebraska, which defeated the Hawkeyes in overtime at home on Senior Day just over two weeks ago, 84-75, opens as 1.5-point favourites on the March Madness odds, with a -130 moneyline.
Iowa, which knocked off the Cornhuskers at home in mid-February, 57-52, is currently listed at +110 on the moneyline. The Hawkeyes have won seven of the last 10 meetings and are currently 4-1 straight up and against the spread in the last five against the Cornhuskers.
The over/under sits at 134. The teams played to the over earlier this month, while playing to the under at Iowa City in February.
Iowa Hawkeyes (9)
The Hawkeyes enter the Sweet 16 riding high after mounting a furious second-half against Florida and outscoring the Gators 40-31. Key contributors included sharp perimeter play and clutch defence that forced critical misses.
Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points and six rebounds, and Folgueiras had 14 points for the second consecutive tournament game.
Bennett Stirtz (19.7 ppg, 4.5 AST.), Iowa’s leading scorer, continued to struggle from beyond the arc. After shooting 30 per cent (3-for-10) from three-point range in the Hawkeyes’ first-round victory over Clemson, he went 0-for-9 against the Gators.
Stirtz still had 13 points, five rebounds, and five assists, but another barren night from long range could be catastrophic for Iowa.
Injuries remain a factor. Guard Peyton McCollum is out for the season with a foot injury, and other depth pieces like Viktor Mikic are questionable or limited, but the core rotation has stayed healthy through the tournament.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (4)
Pryce Sandfort, who led Nebraska in scoring in each of its tournament victories, now deals with the awkwardness of facing the school he just transferred from for the third time this season.
He had 15, along with Frager, to lead the Cornhuskers over the Commodores. Rienk Mast had 13 points, and Berke Buyuktuncel chipped in with 12 as Nebraska shot 56 per cent (29-for-52) from the field, and 47 per cent (9-for-19) from three-point land.
Nebraska boasts superior depth, experience, and efficiency, and has set the program record with 28 wins.
Bear in mind that Nebraska has shot just 16 free throws combined through its first two tournament games.
March Madness Prediction: Who Will Win Iowa vs. Nebraska?
With familiar foes and region final implications on the line, expect a low-scoring, grind-it-out affair. Both squads play tough, physical Big Ten basketball, with strong defensive identities and the ability to control tempo.
In a mostly chalk tournament where a massive program like Texas qualifies as a Cinderella due to its lower seeding, the Cornhuskers may just be the best story. Nebraska’s fans travelled in droves to Oklahoma City, and should show up in massive numbers in Houston as well.
Look for coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad to keep them around for the entire weekend after his Nebraska side upends Iowa, 71-68.