Iowa vs. Michigan State Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

Iowa, the three-time defending conference tournament champions, face No. 24 Michigan State in the second round of the women's Big Ten tournament.

The Hawkeyes advanced to the contest with an 81-54 victory over No. 14 seed Wisconsin when Lucy Olsen scored a team-high 19 points as Iowa, now 21-9, jumped out to a 25-9 lead after one quarter and never looked back.

Sydney Affolter added nine points and seven rebounds, Kylie Feuerbach had nine points and six assists, and Taylor McCabe scored nine points. Iowa shot 57.4% (35-for-61) from the field and 55% (11-for-20) from three-point range.

Iowa has won three straight and 9-of-11 coming into the tussle with the Spartans. The only two losses during that stretch were an overtime defeat at then-No. 8 Ohio State and a 67-65 defeat at home to then-No. 3 UCLA.

Olsen leads the team with 18.1 points and 4.7 assists, while Hannah Stuelke is contributing 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds and Addison O’Grady is chipping in with 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Affolter leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game, to go with 8.6 points.

First-year coach Jan Jensen is looking to lead the Hawkeyes, who have finished as the national runners-up each of the past two seasons, to their fifth straight tournament berth.      

The Spartans, under second-year coach Robyn Fralick, are 21-8 overall, and finished 11-7 in the Big Ten. After a 17-3 start, Michigan State struggled the last month of the season, losing 5-of-9 games. The team is looking for its second straight tournament selection under Fralick. 

Grace VanSlooten leads the team with 15.6 points and adds 6.9 rebounds per game. Julia Ayrault is adding 14.7 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds and Theryn Hallock is tallying 13.9 points per contest. 

The two teams met once this season, the Big Ten opener for both, back in mid-December. Michigan State won a tight one at home, 68-66, behind Ayrault’s 19 points. VanSlooten added 14 points and seven rebounds and Nyla Hampton scored 13 points.

Stuelke led the Hawkeyes with 18 points and eight rebounds, followed by Olsen with 13 points, and Feuerbach with 12 points. 

Read below to see our experts’ predictions for this Big Ten Tournament matchup this evening.

Iowa vs. Michigan State Women betting picks and predictions

Iowa -2.5 (-110)

Both teams have performed well on neutral courts this season, with Michigan State posting a 3-1 record and Iowa going 5-1 in those situations. This may come down to who’s hotter. Iowa is 8-2 in its last 10 games; Michigan State is 5-5.

If the Hawkeyes shoot 55% from 3-point range again, the Spartans are in trouble.

VanSlooten has been hot for Michigan State down the stretch, averaging 18.5 points over the team’s last 10 games.

In addition to being the hotter team, Iowa has the tournament pedigree, having won the Big Ten Tournament the last three seasons. Michigan State has only won it once, in 2005, and has not reached the championship game in nine seasons.

Look for Iowa to at least cover the 2.5-point spread as slight favorites in the game.

Over 150.5 Points (-110)

Michigan State finished fourth in Big Ten play, averaging 80.1 points per game. The Hawkeyes were 11th, averaging 74.8 points, which they surpassed last night against Wisconsin.

Both teams have average defenses, at least statistically. Michigan State surrendered 63.6 points in Big Ten play and Iowa allowed 65.4 points. 

Look for both teams to up the offensive performance a notch and total more than 150.5 points.

Read more college basketball betting picks and predictions on site. 

Iowa vs. Michigan State Women odds

Iowa	-140 ML
Michigan State	+120 ML
Spread	Iowa -2.5
Total Points	O/U 150.5

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.