Iowa vs Rutgers Odds, Lines & Picks (Jan. 8)

• The Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday, January 8th in Big Ten Action
• Rutgers have won five in a row and have held opponents to under 65 points in their last seven games
• The Iowa vs Rutgers odds can be seen below as well as our best bet and prediction for this matchup

If you’re debating which squad is the hottest in college basketball right now, there is no doubt a case could be made for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-4, 11-4 ATS). Thanks to a smothering defense, the Scarlet Knights are riding a five game winning streak that includes delivering number one ranked Purdue it’s only loss of the year.

On Sunday, January 8th, the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-6, 8-7 ATS) visit Piscataway, New Jersey for a dance with one of the hottest teams in the nation. With home court advantage, Rutgers are 6.5-point favorites in the college basketball odds for this clash.

Tipoff for this contest is scheduled for noon ET from Jersey Mike’s Arena. We delve a little bit deeper into the Iowa vs Rutgers odds below, while also offering up our best bet and pick for this Big Ten battle.

Iowa vs Rutgers Odds

Odds as of January 7 at Caesars Sportsbook. Claim the Caesars Sportsbook promo code to bet on this game.

Both these squads will have a tough ride the rest of the way as they compete in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. So far, Iowa has struggled with a 1-3 record in conference play, while Rutgers has those numbers flipped around with three wins in four conference games.

Iowa Hawkeyes Struggle Away From Home

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Hawkeyes so far this season has been their inability to beat opponents away from home. They are 7-2 on their own court, but just 2-4 in away games and neutral site games combined.

In fact, they haven’t won a game away from home since November, and have lost their last four straight outside of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Each of those four losses have come by double digits.

That doesn’t bode well when looking forward to a Rutgers squad that is 10-1 at Jersey Mike’s Arena this season.

Business trip ✈️#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/3dSRdVSscp

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) January 7, 2023

What Iowa has done well is score the ball. They’re currently 16th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom.

It’s not as if the Hawkeyes run an explosive, push-the-pace offense, but they are smart and extremely effective at protecting the ball. They have the second best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country and are top 10 in turnovers per game on offense.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense Excelling

No doubt, Iowa is amongst the best in Division I at keeping mistakes to a minimum on offense, but they’re about to go up against a Rutgers side that forces turnovers like few others in the country.

Since December 3rd, when point guard Paul Mulcahy came back from injury and Rutgers returned to full strength, the Scarlet Knights D has been absolutely suffocating. They have gone 5-2 during that stretch, with the two losses coming by a combined three points.

Over the last six games, Rutgers is shooting 80.2% from the foul line having made 73 of 91 attempts. They’re now shooting 73.5% for the season which is 99th nationally. With an elite defense, RU becoming an above average free throw shooting team makes them even more dangerous.

— Aaron Breitman (@aaron_breitman) January 6, 2023

Still, this squad isn’t ranked amongst the top 25 nationally, but we’ll see if that changes after back-to-back wins against number 1 Purdue and Maryland.

Ever since Mulcahy returned to the court, the Scarlet Knights have a 24.1% turnover rate on defense. Basically, Rutgers is forcing its opponents to turn the ball over once every four possessions. In their most recent win, they forced Maryland to commit 20 turnovers while making just 19 field goals.

Undoubtedly, something will have to give when the extreme ball-control oriented Hawkeyes offense takes on the Rutgers press defense on Sunday afternoon.

Iowa vs Rutgers Pick & Prediction

In the head-to-head matchups, Iowa has taken four of the last five from Rutgers although they were favorites in every one of those games, which won’t be the case in the college basketball odds for this matinee affair on Sunday.

Iowa vs Rutgers Recent Results

The under has hit in nine of the Scarlet Knights 15 games this season and they’re also a very impressive 11-4 against the spread. Furthermore, they’re 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.

If their defense continues to play with this kind of tenacity, we may be looking at a longshot bet in the odds to win the NCAA tournament.

For now, our prediction is to take them to win going away against an Iowa squad that has been lost on the road lately. Take the Scarlet Knights and the points in the Iowa vs Rutgers odds.

Pick: Rutgers Scarlet Knights -6.5 (-117)