The Iowa State Cyclones take on the UConn Huskies. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Iowa State-UConn prediction and pick.
The UConn Huskies shredded Alabama by an 82-67 score on Friday in Portland, enabling them to make the championship game of the Phil Knight Legacy tournament. Coach Dan Hurley guided UConn to a No. 5 seed in last season's NCAA Tournament, but the Huskies suffered the famed 5-12 upset at the hands of New Mexico State. Hurley is moving UConn in the right direction, but the next step is to get a higher seed in March Madness and give the Huskies the bracket path they need to make the Sweet 16 and resume contending for national championships.
UConn is one of the elite programs in college basketball, though not in a traditional or typical way. The Huskies have four national titles, but they have only five Final Fours, well below the blue-blood brotherhood of North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Kentucky, and Kansas. UConn is one of a select few schools with four or more national titles, but stacking together Final Fours is something the program has not done on the same scale as college basketball's most celebrated programs. Hurley is trying to move the Huskies in that direction.
This season has provided a good start.
You might have seen Alabama beat North Carolina in four overtimes earlier on Sunday. UConn dismantled that Crimson Tide team and made it look very easy. It is easy to fall in love with UConn's talent and this blazing start, but now comes the hard part: sustaining that level of play throughout a season. That will enable UConn to challenge Creighton for the Big East championship. Villanova has had a terrible start to its season with Jay Wright no longer coaching the Wildcats. Creighton has established itself as the Big East favorite. UConn wants to rise to meet the challenge the Bluejays provide. A win over Iowa State would be a big step toward that goal.
Iowa State took down North Carolina on Friday. The Cyclones, down by five with under four minutes left in regulation, closed with a 14-4 run and won by five points. Iowa State forced 14 North Carolina turnovers. The Cyclones, who struggled on offense last season, were consistently great on defense. That appears to be the formula once again for ISU, which is maximizing its talent under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, a rising star in his profession. If ISU can cultivate more consistency on offense, the Cyclones could be an even bigger headache for everyone in the Big 12.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Iowa State-UConn College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Iowa State-UConn Odds
Iowa State Cyclones: +5.5 (-105)
UConn Huskies: -5.5 (-115)
Over: 134.5 (-115)
Under: 134.5 (-105)
Why Iowa State Could Cover the Spread
This is a well-coached and very strong defensive team. It bottled up North Carolina's high-level athletes, so it can certainly do the same to UConn's high-end offensive talents.
Why UConn Could Cover the Spread
The Huskies are more skilled than Iowa State at the offensive end of the floor, and the crucial part is that players are playing well together. Dan Hurley has this team working harmoniously, and when UConn gets into a groove, it's really hard to break the spell and get the Huskies off their game.
Final Iowa State-UConn Prediction & Pick
Iowa State's defense will handle UConn's offense. UConn might win outright, but Iowa State covers in a close game.
Final Iowa State-UConn Prediction & Pick: Iowa State +5.5
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