After a challenging road loss in their previous outing, Iowa appears to be in a much better state on their home court today. They have quickly established a 44 - 37 lead against Iowa State. Coming into this match, Iowa had some extra motivation following their defeat in the previous face-off between these two teams. We'll be observing if they can turn the tables or if it will be more of the same.

The Battle on the Home Court - Iowa vs. Iowa State

Iowa's Home Court Advantage

Iowa will be playing in front of their passionate home fans on Thursday. A look at the spread indicates that they might need this home-court advantage. They are hosting the Iowa State Cyclones at 7:30 p.m. ET at Carver - Hawkeye Arena. In their previous games, both teams have posted some significant point totals. Iowa is coming into this matchup after a thrilling victory against the 159.5 - point over/under set by the oddsmakers in their last contest against Michigan. They narrowly lost 85 - 83 to Michigan on a last - minute layup from Roddy Gayle Jr. This was the closest defeat the Hawkeyes have suffered since January 24th. Despite the loss, several players from Iowa rose to the occasion and made remarkable plays. Pryce Sandfort, who went 6 for 10 and scored 16 points along with two steals, was particularly outstanding. Josh Dix also contributed with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Iowa State's Winning Streak

Winning is always a great feeling, but doing it with a season - high score is even better. The Iowa State Cyclones demonstrated this on Sunday as they easily defeated Jackson State with a 100 - 58 victory. They have made a habit of dominating their opponents, having won five matches by 26 points or more this season. Dishon Jackson was a key player for Iowa State, scoring 17 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Milan Momcilovic also made a significant impact, going 6 for 10 and scoring 18 points. The team finished the game with 26 assists, which is the most they have had since December 2023. Iowa's defeat dropped their record to 7 - 2, while Iowa State's victory pushed their record to 7 - 1, having won 23 straight at home dating back to last season.

The Shooting Duel

Thursday's matchup is expected to be a showcase of shooting skills. Iowa has been on fire this season, nailing 49.1% of their field goals per game. However, Iowa State is not far behind, having made 50.8% of their field goals. Given these competing strengths, it will be fascinating to see how their clash unfolds. While only Iowa State took care of their fans in their previous game, both teams have pleased bettors by covering the spread. As the favorites in this game, Iowa State is expected to win by 6.5 points. This will be Iowa's first time playing as the underdogs at home this season.

Series History

Iowa has won 5 out of their last 9 games against Iowa State. The series history shows some interesting matchups. For example, on Dec 07, 2023, Iowa State won 90 - 65. In 2022, Iowa won 75 - 56. In 2021, Iowa State won 73 - 53. In 2020, Iowa won 105 - 77. In 2019, Iowa won 84 - 68. In 2018, Iowa won 98 - 84. In 2017, Iowa State won 84 - 78. In 2016, Iowa won 78 - 64. And in 2015, Iowa State won 83 - 82.