Iowa vs. Rutgers Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Feb. 12

Reed Wallach | Feb 12, 2025

Feb 9, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) looks on during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Iowa’s season is in a tailspin, losers of six of the last seven games, and now are on the road to face a high-ceiling Rutgers team. 

The Scarlet Knights have fallen short of expectations this season, but have had some triumphs of late, including a win at home against Illinois last week. The team is the healthiest it's been in a while with the return of Dylan Harper to join forces with Ace Bailey. 

Meanwhile, Iowa has had a season mired with injuries and ineffective defense, will that lead to another loss in Big Ten play? Here’s our betting preview for this league clash. 

Iowa vs. Rutgers Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Iowa: +6.5 (-102)
• Rutgers: -6.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• Iowa: +230
• Rutgers: -285

Total: 161.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Iowa vs. Rutgers How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, February 12th
• Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
• Venue: Jersey Mike’s Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
• Iowa Record: 13-10
• Rutgers Record: 12-12

Iowa vs. Rutgers Key Players to Watch

Iowa

Payton Sandfort: With the likes of Owen Freeman out for the year now, more pressure than ever will fall on Sandfort, who has struggled relative to last season. He has posted lower efficiency this season and has far more duds on his ledger, including scoring only seven points against Wisconsin. Can he find his former like when the team scored 81 points on Purdue last week, paced by 23 points against Purdue on over 50% shooting? 

Rutgers

Dylan Harper: Harper has played in two games since his return from essentially a three-game absence with an ankle injury and has looked the part of a top-five pick in the NBA Draft. Harper has combined to score 48 points in the last two against Illinois and Rutgers while shooting 43% from the field, dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds. Against the worst defense in the Big Ten, Harper may be in for a big outing.  

Iowa vs. Rutgers Prediction and Pick

Rutgers offense hasn’t been able to buy a bucket in Big Ten play, but there is more to it than just the conference numbers. With an injured Harper, the team has done far worse, but it’s clear that he’s healthy and ready for a late-season push for the Scarlet Knights. 

This season, the team’s offense posts a four percent lower effective field goal percentage and scores about eight points per 100 possessions less when Harper sits, per Hoop-Explorer. Not only is the offense far better, but now will face the worst defense in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom in Big Ten play. 

After strong offensive games against Maryland and Illinois, now the team gets to feast on a reeling defense. The team is 309th in effective field goal percentage while 299th in defensive rebounding rate. 

It’s also worth noting that Iowa is 358th in Haslametrics’ away-from-home rating, meaning that the team sees a stark drop-off in play when it leaves Iowa City. Couple that in with the loss of Freeman and a team that is in a bad run of form, I like Rutgers to lay it on the Hawkeyes and cover the modest point spread. 

PICK: Rutgers -6.5 (-110, available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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