Iowa Hawkeyes vs Clemson Tigers Prediction, 3/20/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Clemson Tigers

Date: Friday, March 20, 2026

Location: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, FL

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Iowa (-2)

The Iowa Hawkeyes (21-12) are traveling to Benchmark International Arena on Friday where they will try to defeat the Clemson Tigers (24-10) in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. Clemson opens this matchup as 2-point dogs. The total has been set at 128.

The Iowa Hawkeyes faced Ohio State and ended up losing by a score of 72-69 in their last contest. Iowa ended the game having earned a 50.0% field goal percentage (22 of 44) and converted 10 of their 21 three-point shots. From the free throw line, the Hawkeyes buried 15 of 19 attempts for a percentage of 78.9%. In the matter of grabbing boards, they earned a total of 22 with 5 of them being of the offensive variety. They also dished out 16 assists for the game as well as forcing the opposition into 9 turnovers and having 5 steals. When it comes to defending, Iowa allowed the other team to shoot 55.3% from the floor on 26 of 47 shooting. Ohio State doled out 17 dimes and had 3 steals for the contest. Furthermore, Ohio State collected 20 rebounds (5 offensive, 15 defensive), but didn't have a block. Ohio State ended up going 73.7% at the charity stripe by making 14 of 19 attempts. They also made 6 of 20 shots from 3-point range. In regard to personal fouls, the Hawkeyes ended up with 16 while Ohio State finished the game with 15 personal fouls.

Bennett Stirtz is a guy who was a factor for the game. He notched 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 39 minutes and pulled down 1 board. He ended up shooting 54.5% from the field and totaled 4 assists.

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Iowa will take the court with a win-loss mark of 21-12 this season. They average 75.2 pts per contest (193rd in D-1) while connecting on 49.1% from the field. The Hawkeyes are shooting 35.7% on shots from downtown (264 of 739) and 77.0% from the free throw line. As a team, Iowa is pulling down 29.4 boards per game and has 506 assists on the campaign, which has them ranked 82nd in the nation in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 9.7 times per contest and as a unit they commit 17.6 fouls per contest.

On defense, the Hawkeyes are forcing their opponents into 13.4 turnovers every game while drawing 17.5 personal fouls. They are ranked 49th in college in giving up assists with 382 relinquished for the season. The Hawkeyes defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 46.1% (749 of 1,625) and they surrender 28.5 rebounds per contest as a team. They are giving up 33.7% on 3-point shots while they are 17th in college in points per game allowed (66.0).

When they last stepped on the court, the Clemson Tigers took a loss by a score of 73-61 against Duke. The Tigers were able to collect 17 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards totaling 24 for the game. They also coughed it up 6 times, while getting 7 steals for this game. Duke committed 20 personal fouls for the matchup which took the Tigers to the charity stripe for 23 attempts. They were able to bury 18 of those for a percentage of 78.3%. In terms of three-point shots, Clemson knocked down 7 of their 25 tries (28.0%). When the final whistle was blown, the Tigers ended up shooting 18 for 55 from the floor which had them shooting 32.7%. The Tigers allowed Duke to convert 23 of 50 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 46.0% in the game. They went 37.5% from 3-point land by shooting 9 of 24 and walked away from this one shooting 18 of 22 at the free throw line (81.8%). With respect to how they cleaned up the glass, Clemson permitted Duke to collect 40 in all (9 offensive).

RJ Godfrey ended up being a major contributor for the Tigers in this contest. He totaled 18 points in his 27 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 1 assist in this contest. He knocked down 6 of 11 for this game giving him a rate of 54.5%, and had 6 rebounds.

Clemson has a win-loss record of 24-10 on the year. On the offensive side of the court, the Tigers are hitting on 45.3% from the field, which ranks 173rd in the country. Clemson has accumulated 2,521 points on the campaign (74.1 per contest) and they average 34.3 boards per game. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 12.8 times per contest (265th in the nation) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 9.4 times per game. The Tigers commit 16.0 fouls every game and they connect on 72.6% from the charity stripe.

The Clemson defense surrenders 32.6% on shots from beyond the arc (259 of 795) and opponents are connecting on 74.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have allowed 10.6 assists and 32.4 boards every game, which has them ranked 12th and 67th in college hoops. The Tigers are ranked 28th in the country in points allowed per game with 66.7. They are forcing 11.5 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 41.9% from the field (57th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Iowa (-2)

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