UConn vs Iona Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Defense Decides Who Advances)

UConn vs Iona Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
• No. 11 UConn (25-8) vs. Iona (27-7)
• Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
• Time: 4:30 PM ET
• Venue: MVP Arena -- Albany, New York
• Coverage: TBS

The 2022-23 NCAA Tournament kicks off this week, featuring a first-round West Region showdown between the No. 4 UConn Huskies and No. 13 Iona Gaels on Friday, March 17.

UConn searches for answers after losing 70-68 to Marquette in the Big East Tournament semifinals. Meanwhile, Iona is feeling good after blowing out Marist 76-55 to capture the MAAC Championship in its latest outing — the Gaels' sixth title since the 2016 season.

Does UConn have what it takes to capitalize on its favorable odds? Or will Iona keep the wins coming with a huge upset performance?

UConn vs Iona Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: UCONN: (-430) | IONA: (+330)
• Spread: UCONN: -9.5 (-105) | IONA: +9.5 (-115)
• Total: 143.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

UConn enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 4:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 143.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

UConn vs Iona Betting Trends

• Against the spread, UConn is 21-12-0 this year.
• Against the spread as 9.5-point favorites or more, the Huskies are 8-6.
• There have been 18 UConn's games (out of 33) that went over the total this season.
• Iona has beaten the spread 19 times in 34 games.
• Iona has seen 15 of its 34 games go over the point total.

UConn Rank	UConn AVG		Iona AVG	Iona Rank
33rd	78.5	Points Scored	76.4	67th
41st	65	Points Allowed	65	41st
12th	35.9	Rebounds	33.4	81st
3rd	11.8	Off. Rebounds	10.3	38th
33rd	9	3pt Made	7.1	210th
6th	17.3	Assists	15	50th
223rd	12.3	Turnovers	10.3	37th

UConn vs Iona Prediction & Pick

After beating up on MAAC competition, Iona is in for a tough first-round matchup. For starters, Iona has dropped six straight games to a Big East opponent, whereas UConn has won 10 in a row against the MAAC. It doesn't help that the Gaels are winless in their four previous meetings with the Huskies, having lost those matchups by an average of 23 points.

UConn also has the advantage in the paint, where it averages 39.0 rebounds (No. 12) compared to Iona's 35.7 (No. 97). The Huskies' play down low will also exploit their opponent's lack of discipline. The Gaels take 16.3 personal fouls per game and the Huskies will make them pay for that with their 75.4% free-throw percentage (No. 47).

Iona is clearly out of its league in this one or else the odds wouldn't look as they do. Back UConn punching its ticket to the next round.

Final Score Prediction: UConn: 72 | Iona: 68

UConn vs Iona Best Bet

With both teams hitting the under more often than not, I anticipate a low-scoring affair on Friday. After all, the under is 4-1 in UConn's last five games, as well as 10-1 in the program's previous 11 outings in March. On the other side, the under has hit in nine of Iona's last 13 contests.

Considering that Iona and UConn have the 41st- and 42nd-best scoring defenses in the country, respectively, there's no reason to believe that a shootout is on the way.

Bet: Under 143.5 Points (-110)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.