EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS @ IOWA

Eastern Illinois needs a cleaner start

The Panthers opened with a 91–57 loss at Indiana, committing 22 turnovers and going 3-of-14 from three; those areas will be tested against Iowa.

Iowa’s depth showed in the opener

Ten Hawkeyes scored in the 76–54 win, with Jaidyn Coon leading Iowa with 12 points and Ty’Reek Coleman adding 10.

Cooper Koch is a key returning option

Iowa must replace its top three scorers, making Cooper Koch’s return important: he led returning players with 7.8 points per game and made 66 threes last year.

McKeever’s status bears watching

Andrew McKeever missed Iowa’s opener with an injury, and the game notes do not clarify whether he will be available against Eastern Illinois.

The recent series result offers a reminder

Iowa leads the all-time series 5–1, but Eastern Illinois won the most recent meeting 92–83 in Iowa City in December 2022.

Pick Ideas

Angles drawn from the matchup analysis above and refreshed as the news changes. They are a separate read from the LineCrush pick for this matchup, so the two can land on different sides.

Consider Eastern Illinois plus the points

At +35.5, Eastern Illinois offers a cushion against the large spread; Dimers projected an 84–54 Iowa win, a 30-point margin.

Over only at the lower total

Dimers projected 138 points, a small edge over 136.5; with another listing at 137.5, shop the number and avoid the over if it rises.