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Iowa vs. Florida Prediction, Odds, Best Prop Bet for NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

Florida is a double-digit favorite on Sunday.
Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh is a great prop target on Sunday.
Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh is a great prop target on Sunday. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators dominated their first-round matchup against the Prairie View A&M Panthers, and they’ll continue their national title defense on Sunday against the No. 9-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa was favored in the first round against No. 8 Clemson, and it came away with a 67-61 win.

Things will get much tougher against the defending champs, who are 10.5-point favorites in the odds at the best betting sites

Florida is just 18-16 against the spread this season, but it has a ton of NCAA Tournament experience and covered a massive 35.5-point spread in the Round of 64. 

Can it take care of business against a Hawkeyes team that has been a little shaky defensively this season? 

Here’s a look at the odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for this battle in the Round of 32. 

Iowa vs. Florida Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

  • Iowa +10.5 (-110)
  • Florida -10.5 (-110)

Moneyline

  • Iowa: +455
  • Florida: -625

Total

  • 145.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Iowa vs. Florida How to Watch

  • Date: Sunday, March 22
  • Time: 7:10 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Benchmark International Arena
  • How to Watch (TV): TBS
  • Iowa record: 22-12
  • Florida record: 27-7

Iowa vs. Florida Best Prop Bet

Thomas Haugh 6+ Rebounds (-140)

Iowa is just 176th in the country in offensive rebound rate, so this should be a game where the Gators can control the glass. Florida is second in offensive rebound rate and seventh in defensive rebound rate, and wing Thomas Haugh is a big reason why.

Haugh is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game this season, and he’s picked up at least six boards in 18 of his games in the 2025-26 season. While the junior was held to just four boards in the blowout win over Prairie View A&M, he should have a much bigger role in this second-round matchup.

Haugh played just 23 minutes in the first-round win, and he had picked up eight or more boards in three games in a row before that, including both his SEC Tournament appearances. 

I love this price for Haugh to hit his season average on Sunday night. 

Iowa vs. Florida Prediction and Pick

Florida is one of the best teams in the country inside the arc this season, ranking 17th in two-point percentage and fifth in opponent two-point percentage while also posting elite rebound rates (see above). 

The front line of Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Haugh is one of the best in the country, and it should get to the rim at will against a Hawkeyes team that is 268th in the country in opponent 2-point percentage.

Iowa only allowed 61 points in the first round, but it ranks 243rd in the country in opponent effective field goal percentage and 31st in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Hawkeyes love to slow the pace (361st in the country in adjusted tempo), but I don’t think that’ll be enough to keep them in this game against a Florida team that is top-10 in the country in KenPom’s offensive and defensive rating.

The Gators may also take the Hawkeyes out of their half-court style, as they rank 29th in the country in adjusted tempo.

Florida really came on in the second half of the season, and it’s an elite defensive team, holding opponents to an eFG% of 45.9 percent (eight in the country).

I’ll bet on a Gators blowout on Sunday night. 

Pick: Florida -10.5 (-110 at DraftKings)


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Published | Modified
Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.

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