Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Iowa and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 43-38 lead against Penn State.
Iowa entered the match with three straight losses and they’re well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will Penn State hand them another defeat? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Current Records: Penn State 13-6, Iowa 12-7
How To Watch
- When: Friday, January 24, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena — Iowa City, Iowa
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $13.19
What to Know
Penn State and Iowa are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2018, but not for long. Both will face off in a Big Ten battle at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Nittany Lions are no doubt hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Penn State finally turned things around against Rutgers on Monday. They came out on top against the Scarlet Knights by a score of 80-72.
Penn State’s win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ace Baldwin Jr., who had 22 points along with eight assists and five steals. Yanic Konan Niederhauser was another key player, going 7 for 8 en route to 18 points plus six rebounds and two steals.
Even though they won, Penn State struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, Iowa’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight defeat. They took a 72-67 hit to the loss column at the hands of Minnesota. The contest marked the Hawkeyes’ lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Despite their loss, Iowa saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Owen Freeman, who went 10 for 14 en route to 21 points plus eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Freeman had some trouble finding his footing against UCLA on Friday, so this was a nice turnaround. Another player making a difference was Payton Sandfort, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds.
Penn State’s win bumped their record up to 13-6. As for Iowa, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-7.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Penn State hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 84.2 points per game. However, it’s not like Iowa (currently ranked fourth) struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 87.3. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Penn State is hoping to beat the odds on Friday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. They might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last three times they’ve played.
Odds
Iowa is a 3.5-point favorite against Penn State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 168.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Iowa and Penn State both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Feb 27, 2024 – Iowa 90 vs. Penn State 81
- Feb 08, 2024 – Penn State 89 vs. Iowa 79
- Jan 01, 2023 – Penn State 83 vs. Iowa 79
- Jan 31, 2022 – Penn State 90 vs. Iowa 86
- Jan 22, 2022 – Iowa 68 vs. Penn State 51
- Feb 21, 2021 – Iowa 74 vs. Penn State 68
- Feb 29, 2020 – Iowa 77 vs. Penn State 68
- Jan 04, 2020 – Penn State 89 vs. Iowa 86
- Jan 16, 2019 – Iowa 89 vs. Penn State 82
- Feb 03, 2018 – Penn State 82 vs. Iowa 58
