UConn vs. Iona Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round First Round

The No. 4 seed in the West Region bracket, the UConn Huskies (25-8), and the No. 13 seed Iona Gaels (27-7) square off in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at MVP Arena, tipping off at 4:30 PM. UConn is a 9-point favorite in the contest, which airs on TBS. The matchup has an over/under of 141.5.

UConn vs. Iona Odds

• UConn odds to win: -464
• Iona odds to win: +351
• Spread: UConn (-9)
• Total: 141.5

UConn vs. Iona Promo Codes

Game Time and Information

• Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
• Time: 4:30 PM ET
• TV: TBS
• Where: Albany, New York
• Venue: MVP Arena

Who Will Win UConn vs. Iona?

UConn and Iona Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

UConn is 7-6 against the spread when favored by 9 points or more this season.

Between them, these two teams average 13.4 more points per game (154.9) than this game’s total (141.5).

Opponents of these teams have averaged a combined 130 points per game, 11.5 fewer than the over/under for this game.

The average point total in UConn’s games this year is 2.0 more points than the over/under of 141.5 in this matchup.

The average point total for the Gaels this season is 0.1 points fewer than this game’s over/under.

The Huskies have a 20-12-0 record against the spread this season.

The Gaels’ ATS record is 20-14-0 this year.

UConn Stats & Insights

UConn averages 78.5 points per game (31st in college basketball) while giving up 65 per outing (41st in college basketball). It has a +443 scoring differential overall and outscores opponents by 13.5 points per game.

UConn wins the rebound battle by an average of 9.7 boards. It is pulling down 35.9 rebounds per game (13th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 26.2 per contest.

The Huskies hit 9 three-pointers per game (34th in college basketball), 4.1 more than their opponents (4.9). They are shooting 35.7% from deep (94th in college basketball) while allowing opponents to shoot 30%.

UConn ranks 19th in college basketball by averaging 101 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively is 17th in college basketball, allowing 83.7 points per 100 possessions.

The Huskies average 83.3 points per game when playing at home, compared to 70.1 points per game in away games, a difference of 13.2 points per contest.

Iona Stats & Insights

Iona has a +387 scoring differential, topping opponents by 11.4 points per game. It is putting up 76.4 points per game, 67th in college basketball, and is allowing 65 per contest to rank 41st in college basketball.

Iona wins the rebound battle by 2.5 boards on average. It collects 33.4 rebounds per game, 81st in college basketball, while its opponents grab 30.9.

Iona makes 7.1 three-pointers per game (212th in college basketball) at a 36% rate (82nd in college basketball), compared to the 5.8 per game its opponents make, at a 29.2% rate.

Iona averages 98.1 points per 100 possessions (70th in college basketball), while allowing 83.5 points per 100 possessions (15th in college basketball).

The Gaels score 80.1 points per game at home, and 73.8 on the road.

UConn Key Players to Watch

The scoring and rebounding leader for the Huskies is Adama Sanogo, who averages 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

UConn’s best passer is Tristen Newton, who averages 4.6 assists per game to go with his 10.2 PPG scoring average.

Jordan Hawkins makes more threes per game than any other member of the Huskies, knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a clip of 2.8 per contest.

Newton is UConn’s leader in steals, averaging 1.2 steals per game, while Donovan Clingan leads them in blocks with 1.8 per contest.

Iona Key Players to Watch

Walter Clayton Jr. is at the top of the Gaels scoring leaderboard with 16.9 points per game. He also pulls down 4.3 rebounds and racks up 3.2 assists per game.

Nelly Junior Joseph has a stat line of 9.4 rebounds, 15.1 points and 1.1 assists per game for Iona to take the top rebound spot on the team. Daniss Jenkins has the top spot for assists with 4.9 per game, adding 15.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing.

Clayton is the top scorer from deep for the Gaels, hitting 2.2 threes per game.

Clayton (1.9 steals per game) is the steal leader for Iona while Joseph (1.5 blocks per game) is the block leader.

UConn vs. Iona Prediction

• Pick ATS:

  Iona (+9)
  

• Pick OU:

  Over (141.5)
  

• Prediction:
  UConn 74, Iona 68

How to Bet on UConn vs. Iona

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