The Buffalo Bulls will travel to James H. Hilton Coliseum to take on the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 7 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Cyclones come into this game on a high note after blowing out North Dakota State 84-64 the last time they played. Jameel McKay played a pivotal role, recording 15 points and 19 rebounds to notch his second double-double this season. The Bulls are coming off an ugly 82-59 loss to Duke in their last outing. CJ Massinburg had a team-high 17 points.
Iowa State is a considerable 21-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at 158 points. The Cyclones come into this game 6-0 Straight Up (SU) and 4-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Iowa State has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking eighth in the nation with a FG% of .519. Spreading the ball around is a huge part of Iowa State’s offense. They are 23rd in the nation in assists with an average of 18.0 per game. An area where the Cyclones are particularly strong is defensive rebounding where they average 32.7 per game, third in Division I.
As for their opponent, the Bulls head into the game with records of 3-3-1 ATS and 4-4 SU.
This game marks the first time Iowa State and Buffalo have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Buff, ATS Winner – Buff, O/U – Over
Notes
Iowa State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Iowa State won its last game by a 20-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Buffalo is 2-3. Iowa State is 4-0 in blowouts this season.
The Iowa State Cyclones have a defensive rating of 88.7 (ranked 21st), while the Buffalo Bulls have an offensive rating of 106.4 (ranked 161st).
The Iowa State Cyclones have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the nation with a FG% of 51.9%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Buffalo Bulls are winless with a 0-1 record.
The Iowa State Cyclones and the Buffalo Bulls both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Iowa State is 15th and eighth in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Buffalo ranks 311th and 295th in these categories.
Ranked 23rd in the nation, Iowa State has an average of 18.0 assists per game. Buffalo ranks lower at 289th with 11.5.
Iowa State, the 90th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.5 per game. Buffalo does worse, ranked 153rd with 3.6.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Buffalo ranks 11th. Iowa State ranks third in defensive rebounds.
Iowa State averages a forced turnover percentage of 18.3% this season. When the Buffalo Bulls suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this, the team is winless with a 0-3 record.
