UConn vs Iona Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks

In a First Round NCAA Tournament game, the 4-seed UConn Huskies will face off with the 13-seed Iona Gaels in the West Region. Let’s take a look at the top college basketball betting odds, March Madness expert picks, betting trends and KenPom Rankings, then share our official UConn vs Iona prediction for the First Round matchup.

UConn vs Iona Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks

2023 NCAA Tournament First Round
No. 4 UConn Huskies (25-8) vs. No. 13 Iona Gaels (27-7)
Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 4:30 PM EST
Venue: MVP Arena — Albany, NY
Coverage: TBS

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UConn vs Iona March Madness Betting Odds

All college basketball betting odds for UConn vs Iona can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.

Moneyline: CONN: (-445) | IONA: (+343)
Point Spread: CONN: -9.5 (-110) | IONA: +9.5 (-110)
Total: 141 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

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KenPom Rankings | Bracketology

KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com

Team	Overall AdjEM (Rk)	AdjO (Rk)	AdjD (Rk)	AdjT (Rk)
UConn	+25.37 (4)	119.4 (6)	94.1 (18)	66.7 (210)
Iona	+11.71 (74)	110.9 (79)	99.1 (67)	68.9 (102)

UConn vs Iona College Basketball Betting Trends

Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
Four of the Huskies’ last five games overall have stayed UNDER the total.
Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss.
Gaels are 10-0 straight up in their last ten games overall.
Gaels are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
The UNDER is 501 in the Gaels’ last six games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.

UConn vs Iona Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks and Bracketology

For the second time in three years under head coach Rick Pitino, Iona has managed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels’ reward this year is a First Round date with a UConn team that is up near the very top of most college basketball betting power ratings. Despite this, an opening spread of Huskies -11 has trickled down a couple of points across the betting market.

On paper, Iona seems to have all of the key ingredients necessary to pull off a March Madness upset. Guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Daniss Jenkins are the team’s top scorers. Forward Nelly Junior Joseph joins them in averaging north of 15 points per game on the season. However, few other players on the roster have proven reliable at the offensive end.

The other major hurdle that Iona will have to contend with on Friday is UConn’s size. Adama Sanogo is simply a beast in the paint. Always a presence on the boards, Sanogo took his offensive game to the next level this season and actually leads the Huskies in scoring. The Gaels figure to have a tough time containing him alone. Add in Alex Caraban and Donovan Clingan and UConn should enjoy a massive advantage in both rebounding and points in the paint.

Given the size disadvantage, Iona will have to knock down 3-pointers to stay in the game. While the Gaels rank 84th nationally in team shooting percentage from beyond the arc, the Huskies counter with the 15th-best perimeter defense in the country. It’s also tough to envision Iona successfully speeding up the pace. Unless the Gaels can make more shots than expected, this game will be hard-pressed to surpass the betting total.

Our official college basketball betting UConn vs Iona prediction will be UNDER 141 at BetUS.

For what it’s worth, the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives UConn an 80.8% chance to win.

Bet: UNDER 141 (-110 at BetUS Sportsbook)