Florida vs. Iowa prediction: March Madness 2026 Round of 32 picks, odds

After the biggest blowout of the first round, Florida takes on Iowa in the Round of 32 where the Gators should have a good chance to control things with their size once again.

Iowa picked up an impressive 67-61 win over Clemson in their tournament opening game, but that result came against a Tigers team playing without center Carter Welling after he tore his ACL in the ACC Tournament.

That mattered, because the Hawkeyes were able to win the rebounding battle 40-27 against a small Tigers starting lineup that didn’t have a single player above 6-foot-8.

Even with that advantage, Iowa couldn’t completely put Clemson away until the game clock was near zero. 

Florida, who absolutely dominated the No. 16 Prairie View A&M Panthers, winning 114-55 on Friday and come into this one fresh, is another beast. 

The Gators have one of the bigger frontcourt rotations in the country, with Thomas Haugh at 6-foot-9, Alex Condon at 6-11, Rueben Chinyelu at 6-10 and Micah Handlogten at 7-1 all playing real minutes.

Micah Handlogten #3 and Rueben Chinyelu #9 of the Florida Gators high five during the second half against the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Benchmark International Arena on March 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. Getty Images

Florida was the No. 1 team on the boards, pulling down 59.9 percent of rebounding opportunities against one of the toughest schedules this season.

Iowa shot just 38 percent overall and 28 percent from deep against Clemson, which is also a much lower tier when it comes to defense, ranking No. 23 in the nation versus Florida at No. 6.

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In a bad matchup for the Hawkeyes, don’t be surprised if the defending champions run away with another one and punch their ticket into the Sweet 16 with ease.

The play: Florida -10.5 (-110, Caesars Sportsbook)

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.