The No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes won their first Big Ten Tournament ever just four days ago, and will take on the No. 12 Richmond Spiders on Thursday at 3:10 PM ET in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship
The game will be broadcast on TruTV from KeyBank Arena in Buffalo, NY.
No. 5 Iowa: 26-9 (12-8): Auto Bid
KenPom rating: 13 Overall, 2 Offense, 77 Defense
NET ranking: 14, (4-6 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Keegan Murray 23.6 PPG
Key stat: Iowa averages 83.8 points per game which ranks 4th in the country.
Iowa was a bit of a surprise this season, and they finished with one of the best players in the country in Keegan Murray being a candidate for every award. The Hawkeyes are also as hot as they have been all season, coming off a Big Ten Tournament championship and having won 10 of their last 11 games.
No. 12 Richmond: 23-12 (10-8): Auto Bid
KenPom rating: 83 Overall, 69 Offense, 104 Defense
NET ranking: 81 (1-2 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Tyler Burton 16.3 PPG
Key stat: Three guys averaging double digit points
Their three double digit scorers are all extremely reliable options. Tyler Burton, Grant Golden, and Jacob Gilyard are all veteran leaders on this team. Gilyard is the heart of this team, carrying the Spiders in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Game where he scored 26 points in what was a must-win to be a part of March Madness.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Point spread: Iowa -10.5
Point total: 150
Moneyline: Iowa -575, Richmond +410
The Pick
Against The Spread Pick: Iowa -10.5
Point total pick: Under 150
Pick to Win: Iowa -575
Iowa -10.5 and the under 150 are my confident plays and if I had to choose one, I would take the under as the most confident pick. While Iowa scores a lot, I think Richmond will try to slow the game down and play at their lagging pace (192nd in the country). I don't see both teams scoring 70+ here.
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