The Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on FOX.
Indiana is favored by 1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -130. The total is set at 142.5 points.
Here’s my Iowa vs. Indiana prediction and college basketball picks for January 17, 2026.
Iowa vs Indiana Prediction
My Pick: Indiana ML -130
My Iowa vs Indiana best bet is on the Hoosiers to win outright. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Iowa vs. Indiana Odds
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
| Indiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 142.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
- Iowa vs Indiana spread: Indiana -1.5
- Iowa vs Indiana over/under: 142.5 points
- Iowa vs Indiana moneyline: Iowa +110, Indiana -130
Iowa vs Indiana College Basketball Betting Preview
The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers already had a long history, with nearly 200 games dating back over a century.
Yet the teams also clashed in the coaching carousel this offseason, with both Big Ten schools hiring from the pool of candidates.
Darian DeVries landed the gig at Indiana, following just one year at West Virginia after a successful stint at Drake.
DeVries' successor at Drake, Ben McCollum, parlayed an incredible year with the Bulldogs into the Iowa job.
Drake's two most recent coaches are at the helm of these conference rivals, firmly stuck jockeying for position amid an overcrowded Big Ten pack.
This game is critical for both teams, as they vie for an NCAA Tournament bid in their first year under a new head coach.
Iowa Basketball
Iowa's 2-4 start in Big Ten play, with three straight losses, looks far worse than it actually is.
Four of the Hawkeyes' five losses this season have come against KenPom top-12 teams, and three of those losses were in true road games.
Iowa's four most recent losses have come by a combined 17 total points, and the Hawkeyes' record is pacing behind their play. KenPom still has Iowa ranked 21st in the country, and Bracket Matrix has Iowa safely in the Tournament Field.
This team really goes by the beat of its best player, Bennett Stirtz. He followed McCollum from Division II Northwest Missouri State to Drake and now Iowa, finding a way to get better and more productive as the competition stiffened.
But in recent weeks, Stirtz has had a mix of cold shooting and additional attention from opposing defenses. He's just 6-for-27 (22%) from outside the arc during Iowa's three-game losing streak. Late in Iowa's most recent loss to Purdue, Stirtz was forcing looks against a tight Boilermaker defense.
He and McCollum need to work to get the right shooting opportunities. Iowa plays slowly, making every possession and every shot selection feel more important.
When Stirtz is set up for success, he can be dominant. Against UCLA, he hit 8-for-10 from the field and all seven of his free throw attempts, en route to a 27-point night and a win over the Bruins.
Indiana Basketball
The similarities between these teams go deeper than their coaches having recent success at Drake.
Both coaches brought their best player from Drake to their next gig or two, with DeVries bringing his son, Tucker, along to West Virginia and now to Bloomington.
Indiana can't match Iowa's three-game losing streak, but has dropped its last two to strong competition, Nebraska and Michigan State. Both of these teams lost road games to Minnesota at The Barn.
Indiana, unlike Iowa, likes the game up-tempo, relying on two mid-major transfer guards to push the pace and create in transition. Lamar Wilkerson and Tayton Conerway have been excellent for the Hoosiers after starring at Sam Houston State and Troy last season.
Their ability to score and create off the dribble has freed Tucker DeVries to be more of a spot-up shooter, secondary slasher, and cutter without the ball, better suiting his skills than the primary creation role he shouldered at West Virginia last year.
The real questions for Indiana come at the center spot. That has been split this season between Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey, neither of whom has offered the right answer.
Last time out against Michigan State, Reed fouled out off the bench, and Alexis grabbed zero rebounds across 17 minutes. Meanwhile, Spartan big man Jaxon Kohler dropped 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Teams are going to look to bully the Hoosiers by the rim, whenever possible.
Iowa vs. Indiana Betting Analysis
Iowa is due for a win.
Against most other opponents, I'd be rushing to take the Hawkeyes, especially as an underdog.
Yet Indiana is equally hungry for a win and is hosting this game at Assembly Hall.
There's a minor threat of Indiana looking forward to a daunting Tuesday trip to Ann Arbor to face big bad Michigan, yet this Hoosiers team is not in a position to look past any opponent.
Iowa doesn't have the size to punish Indiana on the interior, and the Hoosiers will have plenty planned to slow down Stirtz.
My Pick: Indiana ML -130
