#8 Clemson vs. #9 Iowa Picks and Predictions: Round of 64
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Thu Mar 19, 2026, 3:00 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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If you like fast, offensive games, I'll preface this write up by saying this might not be the game for you. However, if you're a basketball purist (like myself) and love watching great, hard nosed defense, this is your kind of contest. Two of the best defensive teams and slowest offenses battle it out in Tampa, Florida on Friday as the No. 8 Clemson Tigers take on the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes. Brad Brownell and Ben McCollum lead their defensive minded teams into this matchup, and our experts have their favorite picks!
Check out our March Madness Betting Guide to get in on all the action this month!
Best Bet: Clemson/Iowa Under 129 (-109) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.
#8 Clemson Tigers vs. #9 Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Basketball Insights
Bennett Stirtz does it all for the Hawkeyes, but they face a Top 20 defense in Clemson this Friday
This total has been ticking way down, and for good reason. Both teams are painfully slow and focus on the defensive side of the ball. I had a lot more faith in both these teams earlier in the year, but some bad play down the stretch has me rethinking how far these teams can go. Plus, either will likely get manhandled by the Florida Gators' front court in the next round. However, we are still in for a very competitive matchup.
Both played top 65 schedules this season, but one could certainly argue the Hawkeyes are more battle tested after playing in the Big Ten. The ACC simply was not as good as we thought it would be this season. Because of this, the Hawkeyes are a short favorite in this game, and I may be slightly leaning in the other direction. But let's check out the exact odds and see what's worth betting on in this matchup.
Matchup Information – Clemson vs. Iowa – March 20
- Venue & Location: Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, FL)
- Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Kick Off: 6:50 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: TNT
Clemson vs. Iowa Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of March 19, 2026 at 11:48 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Iowa -2 (-113)
- Clemson +2 (-107)
Moneyline
- Iowa -138
- Clemson +113
Total
- Over 129 (-111)
- Under 129 (-109)
#8 Clemson vs. #9 Iowa NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Carter Welling and the Tigers will try to slow down Iowa and Bennett Stirtz in the Round of 64
Clemson vs. Iowa Prediction: Clemson Wins Outright, Under 129
Best Bet: Clemson/Iowa Under 129 (-109) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
The market clearly thinks this is going to be a rock fight, and I expect quite the slog. We were able to snag under 131.5 before this line dropped, but even though it has come down, I still think it is playable. This game will be a race to 60 points, perhaps even 55 will be enough to win the game.
Iowa is very one dimensional on offense. They rely way too heavily on Bennett Stirtz to score, and distribute, and even rebound. Stirtz averages 20 of the Hawkeyes' 75 points per game, while adding 2.5 boards and leading the team in assists and steals. He does it all, and he's a great player, but if you contain him, you make it very hard for them to score. That's exactly how Clemson will play it.
The Tigers rank No. 328 in the country in possessions per game, and Iowa is even slower at No. 358. I don't expect more than 60 trips up and down the floor, which simply won't be enough for these two teams to go over the total, especially considering both teams are comfortably in the top 35 in the nation in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency. I've had my mind on this under since the matchup dropped, and even with the total getting lower, it's still a play in my eyes.
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Check Out the Other March Madness Content from Betting News
For college basketball bettors, March Madness is the most wonderful time of the year. And at Betting News, we have you covered for this festively fun season with expert picks throughout the tournament from Nate Hornung and Eddie Griffin, consensus picks for every March Madness game from the First Four to the Final Four, a rundown of the best March Madness betting sites, and more.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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