The McNeese Cowboys take on the Iowa State Cyclones. Check out our college basketball odds series for our McNeese Iowa State prediction and pick.
The Iowa State Cyclones ran into a brick wall on Thursday night. That wall was called the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa did not have its star player, Kris Murray, available to play. Kris Murray had taken the baton from Keegan Murray as Iowa's best scorer. The fact that the Hawkeyes did not have him available should have played into the Cyclones' hands. Instead, they got wiped out, 75-56. The Cyclones could not hit 3-pointers, making under 14 percent of their triples. They committed 15 turnovers. It was a shockingly bad performance — not so much the lack of shooting, but the lack of discipline and the inability to protect the ball. Iowa State will go through lulls on offense. It will struggle to score. It will struggle to shoot. Iowa State usually does the responsible, smart thing. The Cyclones generally do not beat themselves. They force opponents to make plays. Committing 15 turnovers does not fit with that profile. Iowa State is not an elite team, but not a frail team. Iowa State is hard to play against. Iowa State is an annoying opponent to play, in the best possible sense. That is meant as a rich compliment to the Cyclones under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who has clearly bought into the idea of making his team hard to deal with. That's where ISU tries to establish an identity. The Cyclones won't score 90 points, but they will make it hard for opponents to score 60. Giving all those turnovers to Iowa enabled the Hawkeyes to accumulate free possessions which helped Iowa score in the mid-70s. The Cyclones will be angry after that game. They will come out against McNeese on Sunday evening in Hilton Coliseum and should be able to put forth a strong defensive effort with good ball protection.
McNeese is 3-6 this season. The Cowboys play some paycheck games against elite schools to boost their athletic department budget, but they have also lost games to comparative peers in college basketball, Tennessee-Martin being one relevant example. This team is trying to learn how to play and toughen itself up for the conference season. Iowa State will provide yet one more high-end challenge. McNeese recently played Tennessee and Baylor and got roughed up by those teams. The Cowboys will try to keep learning in the midst of these uphill battles. The payoff won't be immediate; it will come later.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the McNeese-Iowa State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: McNeese-Iowa State Odds
McNeese Cowboys: +25.5 (-110)
Iowa State Cyclones: -25.5 (-110)
Over: 126.5 (-115)
Under: 126.5 (-105)
Why McNeese Could Cover the Spread
This is a massive spread. Iowa State is a good team and will win the game outright, but McNeese can certainly keep the game close. Iowa State won't hit under 14 percent of its 3-pointers as it did against Iowa, but if ISU doesn't hit 30 percent of its threes, it might not score enough to cover.
Why Iowa State Could Cover the Spread
The Cyclones are going to be really mad after the Iowa debacle. They will come out roaring and won't stop. They will win by 30.
Final McNeese-Iowa State Prediction & Pick
Iowa State having played a bad game on Thursday is the reason to take the Cyclones here. They will be motivated, not lazy. That will matter in the second half. ISU won't relax until the game is over. It will cover.
Final McNeese-Iowa State Prediction & Pick: Iowa State -25.5
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