Expert Picks and Predictions: Iowa vs. Clemson NCAA Tournament First-Round Matchup
The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face off against the Clemson Tigers in a first-round NCAA Tournament South Region game. The game will take place at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, with a scheduled tip-off time of 6:50 p.m. ET on TNT. Let's take a closer look at the matchup between Iowa and Clemson and provide expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
Iowa, seeded ninth, finished ninth in the Big Ten and was eliminated from the conference tournament in the third round with a 72-69 loss to Ohio State. Led by G Bennett Stirtz, who averages 20 points per game and 4.5 assists, the Hawkeyes have a 18-15 ATS record.
Clemson, the eighth seed, finished fifth in the ACC and reached the conference semifinals before falling to Duke. The Tigers, with F RJ Godfrey as their leading scorer at 11.9 PPG, have an 18-16 ATS record.
This will be the fifth meeting between Iowa and Clemson, with Iowa leading the series 3-1, including a 74-71 victory in their last encounter in 2022.
Clemson, making its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance, has reached the Elite 8 twice, while Iowa has a 31-31 record in 30 tournament appearances with 3 Final Fours.
In terms of rankings, the Hawkeyes shoot better than the Tigers, particularly in field goal percentage, where Iowa ranks 19th with a 49% shooting percentage compared to Clemson's 45% (173rd).
Our expert pick for this game is to bet on Iowa to win outright, as they have a slight advantage over Clemson. The Hawkeyes have been scoring well in recent games and have the potential to come out on top in a close matchup.
For those looking to bet on the total points scored in the game, we recommend taking the Over 129.5, as both teams have been scoring consistently and could surpass the total in this matchup.
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In conclusion, the Iowa vs. Clemson matchup promises to be a closely contested game, with both teams looking to advance in the NCAA Tournament. With Iowa having a slight edge in shooting efficiency and recent scoring form, they are our pick to win this game. Betting on the Over for total points scored also presents good value in what could be a high-scoring affair.