The Texas Longhorns (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) clash with the Iowa State Cyclones (13-17, 4-14 Big 12) in the Big 12 Conference Tourney at Sprint Center. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, and will air on ESPNU.
Texas opened as a 6-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 137 points.
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Texas Longhorns Betting Prediction
The Cyclones are hoping for a better outcome after their 81-60 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in their last outing. Oklahoma’s 6.9 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Iowa State, who had a mark of 15.4. The Sooners’ mark was better than their season average of 15.7. Jeff Beverly put together a solid performance for Iowa State, putting up 11 points and 15 rebounds.
In the Longhorns’ last game, they were victorious over the No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers, 87-79. One of Texas’ biggest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They made 28 trips to the line, 17 more than West Virginia. With 22 points and eight assists, Kerwin Roach II played well for Texas.
Texas figures to have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns currently rank 41st in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.475), while Iowa State is 247th in effective field goal percentage (0.498). Moreover, the Cyclones rank 275th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.213), while the Longhorns rank 32nd in opponents’ FTA rate (0.189).
Iowa State heads into the contest with records of 13-17 straight up (SU) and 10-17-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to set the total low when the Cyclones are involved, as 16 of their 28 games have ended over the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Texas owns records of 18-13 SU and 14-13 ATS. In opposition of Iowa State, Longhorns games have finished under the projected point total 51.9 percent of the time.
The Longhorns have emerged victorious in both matchups against the Cyclones this year, including a 16-point victory the last time these teams met. Texas covered as a 7-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 130 points, which was 9.5 points below the projected point total of 139.5 points. The Longhorns had a much better turnover percentage (11.0 vs. 18.0) and had a better free throw rate (0.263 vs. 0.167). Mohamed Bamba recorded a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Texas Longhorns Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Texas, ATS Winner – Texas, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Texas ranks 123rd in three pointers allowed per game (21.1) while Iowa State ranks 270th (24.6).
The Longhorns rank 113th in rebounds per game (36.2) while the Cyclones rank 253rd in rebounds allowed per game (37.6).
Texas averages 5.1 blocks per game, which ranks 16th in the nation. Iowa State ranks 143rd in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
The Cyclones rank 140th in assists per game (13.6) while the Longhorns rank 254th (11.5).
Texas ranks 145th in steals per game (6.0) while Iowa State ranks 235th (4.8).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Iowa State is 1-4 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
Texas is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Cyclones’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 12.6, up from 2.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Longhorns have scored an average of 69.4 points per game (2.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.4 points per game (1.2 above their season average).
—–
