Thursday 2/20 College Basketball Betting Odds and Picks: N.Iowa vs. Indiana St.



Professional sports handicapper Ross Benjamin touches upon some captivating betting notes that are applicable to Thursday’s college basketball contest between Northern Iowa and Indiana State. This astute article culminates with his ATS pick.

Betting tips for the Northern Iowa at Indiana State Sycamores (14-11) matchup

The Indiana State Sycamores (14-11) will host the Northern Iowa Panthers (22-4) on Thursday. The opening tip from Terre Haute, Indiana is slated for 7:00 PM ET. Presently, the college basketball betting odds at Bookmaker is showing Northern Iowa as a 3.0-point road favorite.

Recent Meetings

These Missouri Conference rivals met earlier this season at Northern Iowa, and the home team walked away with a 68-60 win. The Panthers also eked out an ATS cover as a closing 7.5-point favorite. Despite that result, it’s worth bringing to your attention that Indiana State has gone an unscathed 4-0 SU&ATS during its previous 4 home games against Northern Iowa. The Sycamores won those 4 outings by an average of 10.7 points per game.



Conference Leader

Currently, Northern Iowa sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an 11-3 record. Nonetheless, it’s important to note, that all 3 of their conference defeats have come on the road. The latest of which was an 82-73 setback at Loyola-Chicago in their last time out.

Northern Iowa free pickPanthers Money Draining Trend

Ben Jacobsen has done a terrific job since becoming head coach at Northern Iowa in 2006. He’s been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year on 3 separate occasions and may be on the cusp of another such award this year. However, since the start of the 2016-2017 college basketball season, Northern Iowa is an abysmal 1-11 straight up and 2-10 ATS during away games following a loss and when facing teams with winning records.

Strong Home Court

Indiana State has gone a stellar 10-1 on their home floor this season. Much of the Sycamores success at home can be attributed to their suffocating defense play. They’re allowing a mere 56.4 points scored per game throughout the 11 contests played in Terre Haute. Strangely enough, their lone home defeat came in their previous game when they fell 71-58 to Missouri State. Despite that loss, there’s a striking silver lining. Indiana State has gone 3-0 SU&ATS in their last 3 this season after scoring 60 points or fewer during their previous game.

Final Analysis and ATS Prediction

Northern Iowa hasn’t lost 2 games in a row all season. Yet, I’m not going to let that deter my decision. Between the Sycamores impressive home record which includes winning 4 straight over Northern Iowa in Terra Haute, and the revenge factor stemming from an earlier season road loss to Northern Iowa, I’m jumping on the home underdog. One of my Thursday college basketball picks will be in agreeance with that prior statement.

Pick: Indiana State +3.0


Ross Benjamin is a top sports analyst and one of the sports industry's most respected handicappers. Follow him on Twitter: @RossBenjamin1 or visit his website at RBWins.com


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