Iowa State Cyclones will take on rivals Iowa Hawkeyes in a fierce battle, pitting two teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences. The Hawkeyes are 6-2 for the season and look like strong contenders to finish high in the Big Ten, whereas the Cyclones are 7-1 for the season and look like prospective candidates to clinch a playoff berth in the Big 12 conference.
They defeated St. John's Red Storm in their last game and managed to cover the spread as six-point favorites. The Hawkeyes lost to Duke Blue Devils in their last game and failed to cover the ATS.
Iowa vs Iowa State Betting Odds
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Iowa vs Iowa State Match Details
Fixture: Iowa State Cyclones at Iowa Hawkeyes
Date and Time: Thursday, December 8 at 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City
Iowa vs Iowa State Key Stats
The Cyclones began the season by cruising to three easy victories over IUPUI, North Carolina A&T, and Milwaukee. At the Phil Knight Invitational, the Cyclones added two impressive victories over the Wildcats and the then-No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels. They were unable to win the tournament's championship game, losing to the then-No. 20 UConn Huskies in a 71-53 decision.
The Cyclones will hope to raise their shooting percentages, as they are making just 31.8% of their 3-point attempts and 50.0% of their 2-point attempts. They have played well on the offensive glass and have handled the ball well. The T.J. Otzelberger-led side are up against a Hawkeyes defense that ranks No. 78 in terms of efficiency.
On Thursday night, the Hawkeyes will be attempting to add a significant non-conference victory to their record. In their first five games of the year, the Hawkeyes went 5-0, defeating Seton Hall and Clemson. Since then, they have suffered two losses—to TCU and No. 15 Duke—in their last three games. The only win came via a 81-65 drubbing of Georgia Tech last week.
The Hawkeyes still have a very strong offensive performance going into this game, ranking sixth in the nation in adjusted efficiency. They get a lot of offensive rebounds and have a lower attrition rate than the rest of the teams. However, they are only making 33.0% of their 3-point attempts, which places them No. 199 in the nation.
Iowa vs Iowa State Betting Prediction
Although the Cyclones have a great defense, they do not seem to have the offensive firepower to compete with the Hawkeyes on Thursday night. In the last six meetings between these teams, the Hawkeyes have triumphed four times, and in their previous seven games, they have only suffered one loss against the spread.
The Hawkeyes have managed to cover the spread in six straight home games on account of their offense being even more lethal on familiar turf. They should cover the spread tonight.
Pick: Hawkeyes -4.5 (-108)
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