The Pitt Panthers take on the Iowa State Cyclones. Our March Madness odds series has our Pitt Iowa State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pitt Iowa State.
This game is a matchup between a First Four team and a team which was able to fly to its game site earlier in the week and establish camp there. Pittsburgh won its First Four game on Tuesday in Dayton, beating Mississippi State by one point. The Panthers now travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, for this game against Iowa State. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers handle the extra plane flight and overall workload this week. They, like Iowa State, played in a conference tournament last week. When they saw their name on the First Four schedule on Selection Sunday, they quickly had to board a flight to Dayton for that added game. Iowa State has been able to rest up from the Big 12 Tournament. Pittsburgh will need its starters to come out firing in this game and establish a lead so that when fatigue sets in later in the game, the Panthers will have a working margin and won't lose too much ground.
Here are the Pitt-Iowa State March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
March Madness Odds: Pitt-Iowa State Odds
Pitt Panthers: +4.5 (-115)
Iowa State Cyclones: -4.5 (-105)
Over: 130.5 (-115)
Under: 130.5 (-105)
How To Watch Pitt vs. Iowa State
TV: TruTV
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV
Time: 3:10 p.m. ET, 12:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Pitt-Iowa State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Pitt Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers have to be confident and loose after winning a tense one-point game against Mississippi State. There is nothing quite like the feeling of winning a very close NCAA Tournament game. Players realize they can perform well under pressure. Everyone on the team gains new belief they can handle the weight of the moment. No one wants the journey to end. Pitt faced a lot of pressure against Mississippi State, because First Four games present the high-stakes scenario of playing for the right to make the Round of 64. All college basketball players want to be on the court for that first-round game on Thursday or Friday. That's the “real” NCAA Tournament, and the First Four is merely a chance to play one's way into that round. Now that Pitt has gotten to the Round of 64, you should see this team loosen up and play more freely. That's very dangerous for Iowa State.
Why Iowa State Could Cover The Spread
The Cyclones are going to be fresh for this game, having a full week of rest. They come from the Big 12 Conference, which is — top to bottom — the best conference in the country. Iowa State comes into this game battle-hardened and aware of its weaknesses. The Cyclones also come into this game having won twice over Baylor in several days. ISU went through a very rough time in February but then asked guard Caleb Grill — who was struggling with holistic well-being — to step away from the team. Since that moment, Iowa State has looked a lot more like the team we saw in January, a team which was very effective and was, at one point, considered a possible No. 3 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State is back in form. That should really help the Cyclones here.
Final Pitt-Iowa State Prediction & Pick
Iowa State is playing well and has its groove back. Pitt might be tired from the extra travel. Take Iowa State.
Final Pitt-Iowa State Prediction & Pick: Iowa State -4.5
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