*8* play on Minnesota

The Iowa Hawkeyes are tied with BIG10 leaders Indiana, coming into tonight's game with a 10 conference record. They are coming off a tough loss at Indiana on Thursday, and now they are a big home favorite against the lowly Minnesota Golden Gophers. My money is on the underdog plus the points.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - The Gophers won at Iowa last year as a seven point underdog, and they've won five of the last 10 in this series outright. Each of the last three meetings have been close, decided by six points or less.

2. Depth - Iowa's loss to Indiana exposed a glaring weakness, as their bench was out-scored 28-0 in that game. Minnesota's bench out-scored Michigan's 22-14 in a hard fought 82-74 loss Wednesday.

3. X-Factor - Sophomore guard Nate Mason has scored 19 or more in four of his last six games, and Minnesota only lost once by double-digits during that span.

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8*)