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College Basketball

Grand Canyon vs. Iowa Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
2 minute read

Mar. 20, 2021
Jonathan Willis
NCAA BK Expert
VegasInsider.com

Grand Canyon vs. Iowa Predictions

This has been one of the best seasons in Iowa basketball history. The Hawkeyes are a No. 2 seed for just the second time ever. Fran McCaffery has rewarded this program for its patience after not making the NCAA Tournament for each of his first three seasons, as Iowa is now one of the top programs in the Big Ten.

They haven’t made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 1999 though, so it’s important the Hawkeyes get past the Grand Canyon Antelopes and their Sunday opponent too. Grand Canyon is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Antelopes have used a lot of resources to make themselves competitive in basketball, but they have yet to pick up a program-defining win.

They are building something special under Bryce Drew, yet this team is still a ways away from being competitive.

The UNDER is the right side when it comes to the total. Iowa has one of the best offenses in the nation, but Drew has Grand Canyon slow down and play at a glacial pace against top tier opponents.

  • Score Prediction: Iowa 77 Grand Canyon 60
  • Best Bets - Side: Iowa -14.5
  • Best Bets - Total: UNDER 144.5

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Grand Canyon vs. Iowa Betting Odds

Line Movements

  • Spread: Iowa -14.5
  • Total: 144.5
  • Money-Line: Iowa -1600 Grand Canyon +900

Odds to Win NCAA Tournament

Odds to Win West Regional

Odds Subject to Change

First Round Predictions

Saturday's Early Action - Mar. 20
5
Colorado
vs.
12
Georgetown
4
Florida State
vs.
13
UNCG
3
Kansas
vs.
14
Eastern Washington
8
LSU
vs.
9
St. Bonaventure
1
Michigan
vs.
16
Texas Southern
5
Creighton
vs.
12
UC Santa Barbara
2
Alabama
vs.
15
Iona
6
USC
vs.
10
Drake

Handicapping Grand Canyon vs. Iowa

The Antelopes started the season with four straight victories and scored one of their biggest wins in program history when they beat Nevada by 10 points on December 11. Grand Canyon came within a possession of beating Arizona State and San Francisco too before the start of conference play.

They reeled off seven straight wins against WAC opponents before stumbling, and dropping three of their last five regular season games. However, Grand Canyon hammered Seattle and New Mexico State by a combined 52 points to win the WAC Tournament.

Iowa has been one of the top teams in college basketball all year. The Hawkeyes scored at least 90 points in each of their first six games, but they moved to a slower tempo once Big Ten play got started. They only topped 90 points three times in 22 conference games.

The Hawkeyes couldn’t get past Illinois or Indiana in either of their games against those two schools. They were hammered by Michigan in their one clash with the Wolverines, but they beat Wisconsin three times in four weeks.

  • Region: West
  • Matchup: 2 vs. 15
  • Venue: Indiana Farmers Coliseum
  • Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Date: Mar. 20, 2021
  • TV-Time: TBS - 6:25 p.m. (ET)

Handicapping Resources: March Madness Central | NCAA Consensus Picks

Betting Stats & Analysis - Grand Canyon Antelopes

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

We saw 70% of the Antelopes’ games go under the total this season. Seven of their final nine games went under, as this defense ranked sixth nationally in effective field goal percentage.

Grand Canyon went 15-5 ATS this year. The Antelopes covered all of their games against non-conference opponents, but they failed to cover the number in three of their last five tilts.

Seed: 15
Conference: WAC
Bid: Auto

  • SU: 17-6
  • ATS: 15-5
  • O/U: 6-14
  • Current Form (Last 5): 4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS, 3-2 O/U
  • Notable Wins: None
  • PS/G: 75.6 (73rd)
  • PA/G: 61.1 (9th)
  • Off Rtg: 110.6 (30th)
  • Def Rtg: 89.4 (7th)

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Betting Stats & Analysis - Iowa Hawkeyes

Nine of Iowa’s last 11 games went under the total. The Hawkeyes were 7-3 ATS as a double-digit favorite this season.

Seed: 2
Conference: Big Ten
Bid: At-large

  • SU: 21-8
  • ATS: 13-9-1
  • O/U: 14-15
  • Current Form (Last 5): 4-1 SU, 2-2-1 ATS, 2-3 O/U
  • Notable Wins: UNC, Purdue, Rutgers (x2), Maryland, Michigan State (x2), Wisconsin (x3), Ohio State
  • PS/G: 73.1 (125th)
  • PA/G: 65.8 (58th)
  • Off Rtg: 104.8 (120th)
  • Def Rtg: 94.2 (42nd)

First Round Predictions

Saturday's Late Action - Mar. 20
2
Iowa
vs.
15
Grand Canyon
7
UConn
vs.
10
Maryland
4
Virginia
vs.
13
Ohio
8
Oklahoma
vs.
9
Missouri
1
Gonzaga
vs.
16
Norfolk State
6
BYU
vs.
11
UCLA
3
Texas
vs.
14
Abilene Christian
7
Oregon
vs.
10
VCU

Key Players to Watch

The Antelopes are led by their two centers. Asbjorn Midtgaard was one of the most efficient scorers in the country. He averaged 14.0 PPG and 9.9 RPG, and he converted on 70.6% of his field goal attempts.

Alessandro Lever was second on Grand Canyon in scoring with 13.3 PPG. Lever made 51.1% of his field goals and was the team’s best three-point shooter too. He made 39.4% of his treys as a 6’10 swing.

Luka Garza is the best big man in the country. Garza is the favorite to win the Naismith Player of the Year award, leading the Hawkeyes with 23.7 PPG and 8.8 RPG. He is making 54.7% of his field goals and 40.7% of his threes, and he is a two-time First Team All-American.

Garza’s dominance in the low post has opened things up for Joe Wieskamp on the perimeter. Wieskamp is shooting the lights out from downtown, knocking down 47.3% of his threes while averaging 14.7 PPG.

  • GCU - Asbjorn Midtgaard (14 PPG, 9.9 RPG)
  • GCU - Alessandro Lever (13.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
  • IOWA - Luka Garza (23.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG)
  • IOWA - Joe Wieskamp (14.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG)

Head-to-Head - Grand Canyon vs. Iowa

This will be the first meeting between Grand Canyon and Iowa. The Antelopes weren’t a Division I team until the 2013-14 season when local legend Dan Majerle took over as head coach.

March Madness Records & Trends

Grand Canyon Antelopes

  • All-Time Record: 0-0
  • Last Appearance: None
  • Deepest Run: None

-- Grand Canyon has covered the spread in five straight games when playing as the underdog.
-- Grand Canyon has covered the spread in four straight games when playing on a neutral court.
-- Grand Canyon has gone UNDER the point total in five straight games after going OVER the game prior.

Iowa Hawkeyes

  • All-Time Record: 30-28
  • Last Appearance: 2019
  • Deepest Run: Final Four (1980)

-- Iowa has failed to reach the Sweet 16 in seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
-- Iowa has gone into an overtime period in three of its last seven NCAA Tournament games.
-- Iowa has lost seven of its last 10 NCAA Tournament games.
-- Iowa has failed to cover the spread in five of its last seven games.
-- Iowa has gone UNDER the point total in nine of its last 11 games.

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