Indiana vs. Iowa: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom

Indiana travels to Iowa on Thursday night for a key Big Ten game that is expected to be competitive until the very end. Here is how to watch the game, as well as predictions for it from Vegas, BPI, and KenPom.

How to watch Indiana vs. Iowa

Tip-off: 9 P.M. ET

Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa

Channel: FS1

Vegas odds

Iowa is a 1.5-point favorite over Indiana on Thursday, according to VegasInsider. The over-under is set at 151.5 points.

ESPN BPI prediction

Predicted winner: Iowa

Predicted point differential: 0.2

Win probability (for the Hawkeyes): 50.8%

Matchup quality: 93.9

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index, or BPI, is an analytical tool that measures team strength to predict future outcomes. ESPN’s BPI ranks this game as the best, in terms of matchup quality, on Thursday night.

KenPom prediction

Predicted final score: Indiana 77, Iowa 76

Win probability (for Hoosiers): 52%

KenPom is another analytical tool that provides analysis and predicts outcomes in college basketball. However, KenPom disagrees with ESPN, predicting Indiana will beat Iowa in a close game.

More on Indiana vs Iowa

Indiana is ranked 15th in the country and has a 10-3 (1-1) record as the Hoosiers travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes aren’t slouches, despite their unimpressive 8-6 (0-3) record, and will look to pull off an upset here. That upset, once you look at how the analytics for this game is breaking down, seems within reach. Both Vegas and BPI even like the Hawkeyes to win.

Indiana is coming off a two-game winning streak but has struggled this season against top competition. The Hoosiers were beaten soundly by Kansas and Arizona in non-conference play. Meanwhile, Iowa’s best win is probably over rival Iowa State. At the same time, the Hawkeyes have stumbled far too often out of the gate, including going 0-3 in conference play. So, if only for seeding in the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes need to turn things around.

The Wooden Awards recently released its mid-season top-25 list. Both Iowa and Indiana are represented on the list. They are Kris Murray from Iowa and Trayce Jackson-Davis from Indiana.