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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ole Miss-Iowa State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Ole Miss-Iowa State.
The Iowa State Cyclones looked like a Final Four contender in early January. Then they got hit by injuries and were never the same team again. Now Iowa State enters the second round of March Madness knowing it won't have one of its important players on the floor. Guard Keshon Gilbert is out for the whole NCAA Tournament. He did not play in the team's first-round win over Lipscomb. He leaves ISU shorthanded for a matchup which figures to be a lot more difficult than Lipscomb. Ole Miss just beat North Carolina. The margin was not massive, but Ole Miss was clearly the better team. Now the Rebels try to get to the Sweet 16 and pick up an SEC which has struggled in the first few days of this NCAA Tournament.
Here are the Ole Miss-Iowa State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
2025 March Madness Tournament Odds: Ole Miss-Iowa State Odds
Ole Miss: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +188
Iowa State: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -230
Over: 145.5 (-110)
Under: 145.5 (-110)
How to Watch Ole Miss vs Iowa State
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT
TV: TruTV
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Ole Miss Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rebels played really well for most of the game against North Carolina on Friday before struggling late and almost giving up a 20-point lead. Chris Beard has guided a team to a national championship game (Texas Tech, 2019), so he can obviously coach at an elite level. Going up against Iowa State — a team Beard is familiar with from his Big 12 coaching stops at Texas Tech and Texas (before the Longhorns moved from the Big 12 to the SEC) — Ole Miss has a coach who should be able to formulate a good game plan and keep Iowa State in check.
The other obvious thing we have to point out is that with Keshon Gilbert not available to play, Iowa State is not at full strength. This is not the ideal version of the Cyclones, who could be a Final Four contender when fully healthy and certainly played like it earlier in the season. Now, however, this is a diminished iteration of the Cyclones, and it's hard to think they will be able to run away with this game. They might be able to scratch out a win, but if they do win, it will be very close — not enough to cover the spread.
Why Iowa State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ole Miss beat North Carolina on Friday, but that was more a reflection of how ordinary and mediocre UNC was, not how good or special Ole Miss is. The ACC was bad this season. North Carolina was one of numerous underachieving teams in the ACC. Ole Miss beat a mediocre opponent. Iowa State is a completely different and far better opponent than UNC. If Ole Miss doesn't significantly improve its level of play, it will indeed lose, and it will probably lose by at least six points, which would be enough for ISU to cover the spread in this game.
Final Ole Miss-Iowa State Prediction & Pick
Iowa State without Keshon Gilbert is giving 5.5 points. That's too many points. The spread should be 3.5. Ole Miss looks like a solid play here, though you could wait 10 minutes to see how the game is flowing. You might be able to get Ole Miss at plus-7.5 if Iowa State takes an early four- or five-point lead.
Final Ole Miss-Iowa State Prediction & Pick: Ole Miss +5.5
