The Evansville Purple Aces take on the Northern Iowa Panthers in St. Louis, Missouri. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+.
Northern Iowa is favored by 15.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1700. The total is set at 125.5 points.
Here’s my Evansville vs. Northern Iowa predictions and college basketball picks for March 5, 2026.
Evansville Purple Aces vs Northern Iowa Panthers Prediction, Picks
My Pick: Evansville +16.5 or Better
My Evansville vs Northern Iowa best bet is on Evansville +16.5 or Better. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Evansville vs Northern Iowa Odds, Line, Spread
| Evansville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14.5 -105 | 127.5 -105o / -115u | +875 |
| Northern Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14.5 -115 | 127.5 -105o / -115u | -1600 |
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa Spread: Northern Iowa -14.5, Evansville +14.5
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa Over/Under: 127.5 Points
- Evansville vs Northern Iowa Moneyline: Evansville ML +875, Northern Iowa ML -1600
Evansville vs Northern Iowa NCAAB Pick
I project Northern Iowa as a 13.5-point neutral-court favorite, so I’d be willing to play the Aces at +16.5 or better, representing a minimum three-point difference between the market and my projections.
It’s very tough to make an argument for backing the 3-17 Aces against a Panthers squad that trended up as the season progressed.
However, a 15-point spread is massive in a game with an 125-point total. Furthermore, Arch Madness is known for Unders, as it’s nearly impossible to shoot in the Enterprise Center. It’s going to be very tough for Northern Iowa — a defense-first unit — to build margin, even against the Valley cellar-dwellers.
In the two regular-season meetings, Northern Iowa beat Evansville by 16 at home (71-55) and by 14 on the road (62-48).
On a neutral court notorious for poor sight-lines, I could easily see a 60-50 final score.
My Pick: Evansville +16.5 or Better
