Iowa vs. Clemson odds, March Madness predictions: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

SportsLine's model simulated Clemson Tigers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes and revealed its picks for this NCAA Tournament 2026 first-round matchup on Friday

The ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes will battle the eighth-seeded Clemson Tigers in a first-round matchup in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday night. The Hawkeyes will hit the court after losing a close game to the Ohio State Buckeyes, while the Tigers lost 71-63 to the ACC champion Duke Blue Devils. The Hawkeyes (21-12, 11-11 Big Ten) finished ninth in the Big Ten. The Tigers (24-10, 12-6 ACC) will be without starting forward Carter Welling (10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) after a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament. The 6-10 star led the team in rebounding and blocks. The Hawkeyes have lost three of five games, while the Tigers have won three of five games.   

Tipoff from the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Orlando, is set for 6:50 p.m. ET. The Hawkseyes lead the all-time men's series against the Tigers 4-1, with the teams set to meet for the fifth time in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Iowa vs Clemson odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Clemson vs. Iowa picks, check out the men's college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has simulated Iowa vs. Clemson 10,000 times and just revealed its men's college basketball picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several men's college basketball odds and men's college basketball betting lines for Iowa vs. Clemson:

Iowa vs. Clemson spread:    

Iowa -2.5

Iowa vs. Clemson over/under:    

130.5 points

Iowa vs. Clemson money line:    

Iowa -133, Clemson +111

Iowa vs. Clemson picks:    

Iowa vs. Clemson TV:

TNT

Top Iowa vs. Clemson predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Iowa vs. Clemson, the model is going Over 130.5 points. The total has gone over in four of the Hawkeyes last five games played in March. Iowa's last three games have also gone over the total. 

The model projects the Hawkeyes to have two players score 10.6 points or more, including Bennett Stirtz, who is projected to score 19.9 points. The Tigers are projected to have three players score 12.2 points or more, led by RJ Godfrey, who is projected to score 14.2 points. The model is projecting 142 combined points, making the Over the value play as it hits 67% of the time. 

How to make Iowa vs. Clemson picks

The model also says one side of the spread hit more than 50% of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Iowa vs. Clemson, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the advanced model that has simulated this game 10,000 times, and find out.