The Evansville Purple Aces take on the Northern Iowa Panthers in St. Louis, Missouri. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
Northern Iowa is favored by 15.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1700. The total is set at 125.5 points.
Here’s my Evansville vs. Northern Iowa predictions and college basketball picks for March 5, 2026.
Evansville vs Northern Iowa Prediction
My Pick: Evansville +16.5 or Better
My Evansville vs Northern Iowa best bet is on Evansville +16.5 or Better. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Evansville vs. Northern Iowa Odds
| Evansville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -110 | 125.5 -110o / -110u | +950 |
| N. Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -110 | 125.5 -110o / -110u | -1700 |
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa spread: Northern Iowa -15.5
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa over/under: 125.5
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa moneyline: Evansville +950, Northern Iowa -1700
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa best bet: Evansville +16.5 or Better
Evansville vs Northern Iowa College Basketball Betting Preview
I project Northern Iowa as a 13.5-point neutral-court favorite, so I’d be willing to play the Aces at +16.5 or better, representing a minimum three-point difference between the market and my projections.
It’s very tough to make an argument for backing the 3-17 Aces against a Panthers squad that trended up as the season progressed.
However, a 15-point spread is massive in a game with an 125-point total. Furthermore, Arch Madness is known for Unders, as it’s nearly impossible to shoot in the Enterprise Center. It’s going to be very tough for Northern Iowa — a defense-first unit — to build margin, even against the Valley cellar-dwellers.
In the two regular-season meetings, Northern Iowa beat Evansville by 16 at home (71-55) and by 14 on the road (62-48).
On a neutral court notorious for poor sight-lines, I could easily see a 60-50 final score.
My Pick: Evansville +16.5 or Better
