The No.2-seed Iowa State Cyclones take their 13-5 conference record into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Cyclones were slated to face the winner of No.7-seed Texas and No.10-seed Kansas State. Kansas State overcame being underdogs to beat Texas 78-74 and advance. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a Kansas State-Iowa State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Kansas State fell to tenth in the Big 12 standings thanks to five losses in a seven-game stretch towards the end of the season. There wasn't a lot of concern for the Wildcats, as their five losses came as underdogs and their two wins as favorites. They were losing games that they were supposed to lose and winning games they were supposed to win. When Kansas State hosted Iowa State in the final game, most figured it was another loss to end the season. However, Kansas State rallied to beat the Cyclones 65-58. Kansas State was then even bigger underdogs to Texas in the first round but pulled off their second consecutive upset to move on to a rematch with Iowa State.
Iowa State was a Houston loss away from playing for the Big 12 regular season title on the season's final day. The Cyclones traveled to Houston on February 19th for an opportunity to grab first place but suffered a 73-65 loss to the Cougars. The Cyclones finished the season with a disappointing defeat to Kansas State, to finish two games back of Houston. All of Iowa State's conference losses came on the road, but they didn't fare well at neutral sites either. The Cyclones were a favorite in all three neutrals this season but left with a 1-2 record.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas State-Iowa State Odds
Kansas State: +5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +210
Iowa State: -5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -250
Over: 132.5 (-110)
Under: 132.5 (-110)
How to Watch Kansas State vs. Iowa State
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Kansas State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa State had one of the best home-court advantages in college basketball. They were 18-0 at home this season but 5-5 on the road. They had three neutral site games at the start of the year and suffered two losses. It hasn't been an easy time away from home for Iowa State, which could make the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament a problem.
Iowa State's offense hasn't been performing well, scoring more than 70 points just once in the last six games. This led the Cyclones to have a 2-3-1 record against the spread.
Why Iowa State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa State's defense was a force in the Big 12, allowing opponents to score just 62.1 points per game. This number was good enough for fifth-best in the country. They were top-100 in field goal percentage allowed, three-point percentage allowed, and rebounding. Kansas State's offense is the detriment of their team, ranking 234th in the nation, averaging 72.3 points. Kansas State advancing will be a welcome sight for the Cyclones, as Texas' offense would have been a much tougher test.
Final Kansas State-Iowa State Prediction & Pick
Kansas State's defense is more than capable of slowing down the Iowa State offense, as we saw two games ago when they held them to 58 points. The defensive effort helped them pull off the upset win. Kansas State likely won't score much more than the 65 points they did in the first game, and their first matchup of the season saw Iowa State score 78 points at home. Iowa State won by 11 in that first meeting, and you should expect the final to look more of the same this time.
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Final Kansas State-Iowa State Prediction & Pick: Iowa State -5.5 (-115)
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