After salvaging their season with a berth in the 15-team 2025 Big Ten Tournament with an 83-68 win over Nebraska on Sunday, 15th-seeded Iowa basketball (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten) opens their conference tournament gauntlet today with a first-round matchup against 10th-seeded Ohio State (17-14, 9-11) from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Through their 31-game regular season, the Hawkeyes score 82.7 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the floor, 37.7% from beyond the arc, and 70.5% from the free throw line.
Despite injured sophomore forward Owen Freeman finishing the season with the team lead in points per game, senior forward Payton Sandfort is the active leader in that category with 16.3 points per game on 40.0% shooting from the field, 32.6% from 3-point territory and 88.8% accuracy from the free-throw line. Defensively, Iowa forces an average of 13 turnovers per game, 6.7 steals and 4.2 blocks.
Watch Iowa basketball vs Ohio State live on Peacock
The winner of this game would proceed to a second-round matchup vs. No. 7 seed Illinois (20-11, 12-8 Big Ten) on Thursday.
With Iowa not among the at-large bids conversation, the Hawkeyes will need to string together an unprecedented Big Ten Tournament run to snatch up a bid and sneak themselves into March Madness.
Here’s how to watch the Iowa game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
What channel is the Iowa basketball vs Ohio State game on today? Time, TV schedule
Streaming Network: Peacock (Subscription Required)
Start time: Approximately 5 p.m. CT
Iowa vs. Ohio State will stream on Peacock. Broadcaster Paul Burmeister and color commentator Robbie Hummel will call the game, with Nicole Auerbach reporting from the sidelines at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Radio: Hawkeyes Radio Network
Iowa fans can also tune into the Hawkeye Radio Network to follow along with play-by-play voice Gary Dolphin and color commentator Bobby Hansen.
Where to watch Iowa vs Ohio State on livestream
The game can be streamed exclusively via Peacock.
Scouting The Opponent
Iowa’s lone game against the Buckeyes was a disastrous 82-65 loss on Jan. 27 from Value City Arena in Columbus that saw Ohio State erupt with 52 second-half points. The Buckeyes held Iowa to a season-low 65 points and 39.3% field goal shooting in the loss.
The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 17-14 overall record and a 9-11 conference mark. Ohio State ended the regular season on a sour note with a 66-60 loss to Indiana, losing four of its final six games and 4-6 of its final 10 games.
As a team, the Buckeyes average 79.1 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field, 37.2% from beyond the arc, and 74.8% from the charity stripe.
Ohio State has four players averaging in double figures, with Bruce Thornton leading the team in scoring (17.5), assists (4.5), and steals (1.1). The junior guard shoots 49.7% from the field, 42.6% from 3-point range, and 84.6 % from the charity stripe and has the best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.23) in the Big Ten, which ranks seventh nationally.
Sophomore forward Devin Royal (13.6), senior guard Micah Parrish (13.2), and freshman guard John Mobley, Jr. (13.2) also average in double figures. Royal also leads the team in rebounding (6.9), while Mobley has a team-high 75 made three-pointers.
Ohio State forces 11.7 turnovers per game, 6.5 steals and 3.7 blocks. The Buckeyes’ strength defensively is their 3-point defense, where they have the conference’s second-best and 14th-ranked nationally perimeter defense at 30.1%.
Iowa vs Ohio State predictions, picks, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Odds: Ohio State -5.5
Money Line: Ohio State -220 / Iowa +180
O/U: 155.5
Iowa 83, Ohio State 77: Iowa gets another stellar offensive performance from Payton Sandfort and Josh Dix along with clutch defensive efforts from Drew Thelwell and Brock Harding to exact revenge on the Buckeyes and advance to the second round of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
Iowa basketball 2024-25 schedule
Nov. 4: vs Texas A&M Commerce – W, (89-67)
Nov. 7: vs Southern – W, (89-74)
Nov. 12: vs South Dakota – W, (96-77)
Nov. 15: vs Washington State – W, (76-66)
Nov. 19: vs Rider – W, (83-56)
Nov. 22: vs Utah State – L, (77-69)
Nov. 26: vs South Carolina Upstate – W, (110-77)
Dec. 3: vs Northwestern – W, (80-79)
Dec. 7: at Michigan – L, (85-83)
Dec. 12: vs Iowa State – L, (89-80)
Dec. 15: vs New Orleans – W, (104-57)
Dec. 21: vs Utah – W, (95-88)
Dec. 30: vs New Hampshire – W, (112-70)
Jan. 3: at Wisconsin – L, (116-85)
Jan. 7: vs Nebraska – W, (97-87)
Jan. 11: vs Indiana – W, (85-60)
Jan. 14: at USC – L, (99-89)
Jan. 17: at UCLA – L, (94-70)
Jan. 21: vs Minnesota – L, (72-67)
Jan. 24: vs Penn State – W, (76-75)
Jan. 27: at Ohio State – L, (82-65)
Feb. 4: vs. Purdue – L, (89-80)
Feb. 8: vs Wisconsin – L, (74-63)
Feb. 12: at Rutgers – W, (84-73)
Feb. 16: at Maryland – L, (101, 75)
Feb. 19: vs Oregon – L, (80-78)
Feb. 22: vs Washington – W, (85-79)
Feb. 25: at Illinois – L, (81-61)
Feb. 28: at Northwestern – L, (68-57)
March 6: vs Michigan State – L, (91-84)
March 9: at Nebraska – W (83-68)
March 12: Big Ten Tournament vs. Ohio State
Record: 16-15, 7-13 Big Ten
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: How to watch Iowa basketball vs Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament
