UMBC Retrievers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/23

Planning on watching today’s Retrievers and Hawkeyes game? Catch the action at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA, as the Hawkeyes hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on BTN. The over/under for this game is set at 178.5 points, and the Hawkeyes are the home favorites against the Retrievers in a non-conference matchup.

UMBC RETRIEVERS VS IOWA HAWKEYES BETTING PICK

The Pick: UMBC Retrievers +27

This game will be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE UMBC RETRIEVERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 73-69 in favor of the Hawkeyes.
  • Even though we have Iowa winning straight-up, we like UMBC at +27.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 178.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 142 points.

Can UMBC Pull Off A Win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena?

After a loss to Saint Peter’s (66-60), the Retrievers come into today’s game with a 5-8 record. All of their games this season have been played on the road. At the moment, UMBC has a winning record against the spread, sitting at 6-5. However, in their last five games, they are 2-3 vs. the spread.

Looking at their over/under performance through 13 games, UMBC has an over/under record of 8-3-0, with their games averaging 161.6 points per game on average. The Retrievers have an over/under record of 2-1 in their last three games, with their games averaging 153 points per game.

In their latest game, UMBC offense put up 60 points against Saint Peter’s. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 47.9% and made 5 threes. The team’s scoring leader is Dion Brown, who holds an average of 16.5 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Khydarius Smith is averaging 13.1 points per game this season.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, UMBC is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 82.9 points per game (279th). In today’s game vs. Iowa, the UMBC defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, UMBC made 20 free-throws vs. the Retrievers.

Will Iowa Find a Way to Win at Home?

Iowa enters their game against UMBC with a 6-5 overall record. In road games, Iowa is winless at 0-3, but they have been strong at home, going 5-1. Iowa’s ATS record is currently 3-6, putting them below .500. In their last five games, the team has a 1-4 ATS record.

Iowa’s games have, on average, featured 163.9 points per game leading to an over/under record of 6-3-0. Their average over/under line is currently 160.9 points so far. When looking at the Hawkeyes’ last three games, their over/under record is 2-1, with their games averaging 154 points per game.

Iowa offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 65 points against Iowa State. In that game, they made 8/26 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 38.6%. One area that the Iowa offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 47th in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 47%.

Iowa’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 74.7 points per game. Iowa’s three-point defense is currently 124th in the country at 7.6 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.9% of their shots vs. Iowa.