The 20th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (15-5, 4-3 Big 12) welcome the West Virginia Mountaineers (9-11, 1-6 Big 12) to James H. Hilton Coliseum. The Mountaineers can put an end to a five-game road losing streak. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, and can be seen on ESPNU.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Iowa State Cyclones ATS Odds
In their last outing, the Cyclones defeated the 20th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels, 87-73, while the Mountaineers fell to the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 83-66.
Iowa State’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Ole Miss. The Cyclones had a rate of 0.764 (above their season average of 0.548), while the Rebels posted a mark of 0.420 (below their season average of 0.557). West Virginia, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 29.7). Talen Horton-Tucker played well for Iowa State, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists. West Virginia, meanwhile, was led by Esa Ahmad, who put up 16 points and seven rebounds.
This was a highly contested series last year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. The Mountaineers won the last matchup 85-70. West Virginia won the rebounding battle. The Mountaineers had 16 offensive rebounds and 47 total rebounds, while the Cyclones had six and 27, respectively. This is the first time these teams will battle this year.
Iowa State appears to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Cyclones currently rank 21st in offensive efficiency, while West Virginia ranks 248th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Mountaineers rank 23rd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.290), while the Cyclones rank 10th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.166).
West Virginia vs. Iowa State Free Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Iowa State, ATS Winner – Iowa State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Iowa State ranks 12th in steals allowed per game (4.8) while West Virginia ranks 198th (8.3).
- The Cyclones rank 16th in blocks allowed per game (2.3) while the Mountaineers rank 111th (3.5).
- West Virginia ranks 118th in three pointers attempted per game (23.4) while Iowa State ranks 207th in three pointers allowed per game (24.1).
- The Mountaineers rank 23rd in rebounds per game (40.0) while the Cyclones rank 152nd (35.6).
- Iowa State ranks 23rd in assists per game (16.6) while West Virginia ranks 146th (13.2).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Mountaineers have scored an average of 69.6 points per game (4.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 83.0 points per game (8.6 above their season average).
- The Cyclones’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.2, down from 13.5 for the season.
