Posted on 2/19/2008 6:35:17 PM

College Basketball Betting - Northwestern at Iowa

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: IOWA -8.5, Total 115

The Iowa Hawkeyes (11-15 SU, 10-13 ATS) will try to get toward the .500 mark as they play host to the Northwestern Wildcats (7-16 SU, 7-11 ATS) in Big Ten play that starts at 9:05 PM ET on Tuesday night at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Iowa is listed as an 8.5-point favorite, with the total posted at 115 points.

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* NW has lost its last five games SU

* NW has lost 13 of its last 15 road games SU

* IOWA has covered four of its last six games

* IOWA has lost four of its last five games SU

* IOWA has played six of its last seven games UNDER the total

* IOWA has covered five of its last seven home games

* IOWA has played four of its last six home games UNDER the total

* NW has covered the last six meetings

* IOWA has won 14 of the last 20 meetings SU

* NW has covered four of the last five meetings as the visitor

* IOWA has won nine of the last 10 meetings SU as the home team

* IOWA has had the rebounding edge in each of the last ten meetings

The Hawkeyes would appear to be the kind of defensive-minded, fundamental-conscious squad that would give a team like Northwestern fits. But the Wildcats are actually shooting at a better percentage than Iowa (44.7%--42%), and they have enough ability from three-point range (hitting 8.3 per game) to stay within earshot.

True, Northwestern is the most permissive team in the Big Ten, yielding almost 49% shooting by opponents, and has averaged less than 21 rebounds a game! But the Hawkeyes haven't been shooting the lights out in too many recent contests, and Northwestern does a very decent job at taking care of the ball (just 11 TO's per game). So Todd Lickliter's team isn't going to be the beneficiary of many easy transition plays.

The Wildcats have been confronted by some roomy imposts lately, and have managed to cover at Wisconsin, Michigan State and Indiana. And Iowa, which has not reached 60 points in any of the last five games, don't figure to get that far ahead with the way they "shorten" the game. A minus-1.2 assists-turnover ratio isn't helpful either. Iowa will eventually become a very dangerous team in the Big Ten, but this is still a work in progress.

We'll take the points with Northwestern, the 8.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: NORTHWESTERN

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)