Point Spread: Hoosiers Slight Underdog at Home Against Iowa on Tuesday Night

Indiana has had a tough go of it at against Iowa the past couple of years, but the Hoosiers are home on Tuesday night to host the Hawkeyes in a must-win game. Somewhat surprisingly, it's Iowa that 's the slight favorite. Here's the latest on the point spread, with a great history of both games against the number this season.
Point Spread: Hoosiers Slight Underdog at Home Against Iowa on Tuesday Night
Point Spread: Hoosiers Slight Underdog at Home Against Iowa on Tuesday Night /

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There's a big difference between how Indiana plays at home compared to on the road, which is not really all that uncommon. Mostly because of envrionments, it's tough to win on the road in the Big Ten. 

The Hoosiers are back at home this week, and have a huge game with Iowa on Tuesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. We've moved into must-win territory for sure if Indiana wants to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Despite the home-court edge — the Hoosiers are 9-2 at home with their only losses to top-five teams Kansas and Purdue — it's actually Iowa that's the favorite. The Hawkeyes have a 1.5-point edge, according to the SISportsbook.com gambling website. The over/under is 160.5, the highest number of the season.

Why is Iowa favored? Well, history probably has something to do with it. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 against Indiana in the past two years. They covered every time but once, too, with the only failure at the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, when they won by three on a half-court shot at the buzzer as 6.5-point favorites.

We wrote a great story earlier this week on Iowa's dominance in the Mike Woodson/Fran McCaffery era. Here's the link to Jack Ankony's story. CLICK HERE 

The game starts at 7 p.m. ET and is being televised on the Big Ten Network. For all of the information on how to watch and a great preview of the game,CLICK HERE

Here's what Indiana has done against the spread so far this season.

Indiana by the numbers

  • Indiana overall record: 12-8
  • Indiana overall vs. spread: 9-11
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  • Indiana home record: 9-2
  • Indiana home vs. spread: 6-5
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  • Indiana road record: 1-4
  • Indiana road vs spread: 2-3
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  • Indiana neutral court record: 2-2
  • Indiana neutral court vs. spread: 1-3
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  • Indiana record as favorite: 10-0
  • Indiana vs. spread as favorite: 5-5
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  • Indiana record as underdog: 2-8
  • Indiana vs. spread as underdog: 4-6
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  • Indiana over total: 10
  • Indiana under total: 10

For every game, we'll give you a complete rundown on what both teams have done against the spread. We'll have final scores, what they did versus the spread and what happened with the over/under totals.

Indiana results vs. spread this season

Here's what Indiana has done this season, straight up and against the spread:

  • Nov. 7 — Beat Florida Gulf Coast 69-63 at home as an 11.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (132) went under the 142.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 12 — Beat Army 72-64 at home as a 25.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (138) went over the 134.5 total.
  • Nov. 16 — Beat Wright State 89-80 at home as a 15.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (169) went far over the 146.5 total.
  • Nov. 19 — Lost to No. 5 Connecticut 77-57 at Madison Square Garden in New York as a 12.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (134) went under the 146.5 total.
  • Nov. 20 — Beat Louisville 74-66 at Madison Square Garden in New York as an 8.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (140) went under the 146.5 total.
  • Nov. 26 — Beat Harvard 89-76 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as an 7.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (165) went far over the 140.5 total.
  • Dec. 1 — Beat Maryland 65-53 at home as a 3.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (117) went far under the 136.5 total.
  • Dec. 5 — Won at Michigan 78-75 as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (153) went over the 144.5 total.
  • Dec. 9 — Lost to Auburn 104-76 in Atlanta as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (180) went far over the 147.5 total.
  • Dec. 16 — Lost to No. 2 Kansas 75-71 at home as a 7.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (146) went under the 147.5 total.
  • Dec. 19 — Beat Morehead State 69-68 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (137) went under the 141.5 total.
  • Dec. 21 — Beat North Alabama 83-66 at home as a 13.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (149) went over the 147.5 total.
  • Dec. 29 — Beat Kennesaw State 100-87 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (187) went over the 15.5 total.
  • Jan. 3 — Lost at Nebraska 86-70 as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (156) went over the 151.5 total.
  • Jan. 6 — Beat Ohio State 71-65 at home as a 1.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.
  • Jan. 9 — Lost at Rutgers 66-57 as a 2.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (123) went under the 140.5 total.
  • Jan. 12 — Beat Minnesota 74-62 as a 3.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.
  • Jan. 16 — Lost to No. 2 Purdue 87-66 at home as a 9.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (153) went over the 151.5 total.
  • Jan. 19 — Lost at No. 11 Wisconsin 91-79 as an 11.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (180) went over the 141.5 total.
  • Jan. 27 — Lost at Illinois 70-62 as a 14.5-point underdog at tipoff (coverede). The score (132) went under the 154.5 total.

Iowa results vs. spread this season

Iowa, just like Indiana, is 12-8 overall and 4.-5 in the Big Ten, in a four-way tie for seventh place in the league with the Hoosiers, Michigan State and Minnesota.

The Hawkeyes opened the season ranked No. 50 in the Kenpom.com computer rankings, one spot behind Indiana. Now they're at No. 44 as of Tuesday morning. Indiana, by the way, is at No. 92.

Iowa is just 8-12 against the spread this season, but they are 4-2 vs. the number in its past six Big Ten games. Fourteen of its 20 games have gone over the total. 

Here's what Iowa has done this season, straight up and against the spread:

  • Nov. 7 — Beat North Dakota 110-68 at home as a 20.5-point favorite (covered). The score (178) went over the 156.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 10— Beat Alabama State 98-67 at home as a 31.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (165) went over the 161.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 14 — Lost to No. 8 Creighton 92-84 in the Gavitt Games as a 12.5-point underdog (covered). The score (176) went over the 166.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 17— Beat Arkansas State 88-74 at home as an 21.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (162) went under the 173.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 23 — Lost to Oklahoma 79-67 at the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego, Calif., as a 1.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (147) went under the 157.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 24— Beat Seton Hall 85-72 at the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego, Calif., as a 1.5-point favorite (covered). The score (157) went over the 153.5 over/under total.
  • Nov. 29 — Beat North Florida 103-78 at home as a 26.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (181) went over the 166.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 4 — Lost at No. 4 Purdue 87-68 as a 14.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (155) went under the 159.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 7 — Lost at Iowa State  90-65 as a 7.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (155) went over the 153.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 10 — Lost to Michigan 90-80 as a 4.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (170) went over the 159.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 16 — Beat Florida A&M 88-52 at home as a 23.5-point favorite (covered). The score (140) went under the 153.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 20 — Beat Maryland-Baltimore County 103-81 at home as a 26.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (184) went under the 177.5 over/under total.
  • Dec. 29 — Beat Northern Illinois 103-78 at home as a 26.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (181) went over the 166.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 2 — Lost at No. 21 Wisconsin 83-72 as a 5.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (155) went over the 152.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 6 — Beat Rutgers 86-77 as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The score (162) went over the 152.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 12 — Beat Nebraska 94-76 as a 4.5-point favorite (covered). The score (170) went over the 166.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 15 — Won at Minnesota 86-77 as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The score (161) went over the 156.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 20 — Lost to No. 2 Purdue 84-70 at home as a 7.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (154) went under the 167.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 24 — Lost to Maryland 69-67 at home as a 4.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (136) went under the 150.5 over/under total.
  • Jan. 27 — Won at Michigan 88-78 as a 1.5-point underdog (covered). The score (166) went over the 161.5 over/under total.

Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.