Big 12 foes will clash when the Iowa State Cyclones (11-9, 2-6 Big 12) take on the No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) at James H. Hilton Coliseum. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 148 points with West Virginia opening as a 9-point favorite. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNU.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview
The Mountaineers lost to the Kentucky Wildcats in their last matchup, 83-76. Jevon Carter put together a good game for West Virginia, leading the team in scoring with 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting. Kentucky did a terrific job of making free throws (23-29; 79.3 percent). West Virginia, on the other hand, had a turnover percentage of 7.3 (better than their season average of 13.8).
The last time the Cyclones played, they were defeated by the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers, 68-45. Donovan Jackson was Iowa State’s leading scorer with 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting. Tennessee had an offensive rebounding percentage of 41.0 (above their season average of 34.2). Iowa State, meanwhile, had a better free throw rate (0.137 vs. 0.129).
The offense of Iowa State (164th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 105.8) will square off against the stingy defense of West Virginia (10th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 92.6). The Mountaineers should have the advantage on that end of the court. The Mountaineers should be expected to protect the ball well. They rank 28th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.3 percent), while the Cyclones force the 55th-fewest turnovers in the NCAA (opponents turnover percentage of 17.0 percent).
Of West Virginia’s 17 games that accepted bets, nine have finished under the O/U total, while 10 of Iowa State’s 18 games have finished over the projected point total. The Mountaineers hold a clear advantage in terms of straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 16-5 SU and 8-9 ATS, while the Cyclones are 11-9 SU and 6-11-1 ATS.
Sagaba Konate has really been playing well over the last five games for West Virginia, averaging 11.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game.
This is the first time these teams will battle this year. The Mountaineers won two out of three games played against each other last season. In the last contest, Iowa State won 80-74. The Cyclones played a perfect game. They had a free throw rate of 0.169 and a solid offensive rebounding percentage of 27.6. For those same stats, the Mountaineers recorded marks of 0.143 and 24.2, respectively.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Iowa State Cyclones Odds Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – West Virginia, ATS Winner – West Virginia, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Mountaineers rank 64th in assists per game (15.4) while the Cyclones rank 174th in assists allowed per game (14.2).
- West Virginia averages 5.3 blocks per game, which ranks 22nd in the NCAA. Iowa State ranks 94th in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
- West Virginia is 4-5 ATS on the road, while Iowa State is 3-5-1 ATS at home.
- The total has gone over in 4 of the Mountaineers 9 road games, while 5 of the Cyclones 9 home games have gone under.
- West Virginia averages 26.7 three pointers per game, which ranks 30th in the NCAA. Iowa State ranks 258th in three pointers allowed per game (25.7).
- The Mountaineers average 39.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 32nd in the nation. The Cyclones rank 216th in rebounds allowed per game (37.0).
- West Virginia ranks seventh in steals per game (9.1) while Iowa State ranks 188th (5.3).
Betting Trends:
- Iowa State is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, West Virginia is 2-3 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
- The Cyclones have been outscored by an average of 6.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Iowa State has scored an equal number of points as their opponents.
- During their last five games, the Mountaineers have scored an average of 74.4 points per game (6.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.8 points per game (5.2 above their season average).
