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The Northwestern Wildcats enter Tuesday’s road tilt against the Iowa Hawkeyes in some possession of second place in the Big Ten Conference standings behind the strength of one of the nation’s top defenses.
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (-7 149.5)
Northwestern ranks eighth in the nation in points allowed on a per-possession basis and has allowed 63 points or fewer in six of its eight away games this season.
This will be the toughest road test yet for the Wildcats as the Hawkeyes have yet to score fewer than 75 points in their 12 home games this season and are ranked fourth in points scored on a per-possession basis.
Iowa’s offensive efficiency has come from one crucial area of the game: taking care of the basketball. The Hawkeyes are 10th in the nation in the fewest turnovers committed per possession and are making 38.0% of their 3-point shots at home compared to just 29.3% on the road.
Northwestern will look to slow the game down by winning the turnover battle, ranking 17th in the nation in fewest turnovers committed per possession and 15th in turnovers forced per play.
Controlling possessions will be key for Northwestern, ranking 247th in the nation in possessions per game because Iowa speeds the game up, ranking 45th in possessions per game.
Northwestern ranks 27th in road defensive rebound rate and is allowing opponents an offensive rebound on just 22.4% of their missed shots — opening the door for plenty of opportunities to slow down Iowa and play off its own tempo on Tuesday.
The Play; Northwestern vs. Iowa Under 149.5
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