Iowa State vs. LSU Prediction and Odds for NCAA Men's Tournament First Round
The Big 12 and SEC will face-off in the first round of the NCAA March Madness Tournament when the Iowa State Cyclones take on the LSU Tigers.
LSU was awarded a No. 6 seed after a 22-11 overall record and a 9-9 pace in SEC play. Its biggest wins came early in the season when the Tigers beat then-ranked No. 16 Kentucky and then-ranked No. 18 Tennessee.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones enter the tournament as a No. 11 seed. They were only 7-11 in conference play, but had impressive out of conference wins against Xavier, Memphis, Creighton, and Iowa. They also have a win against Texas Tech.
Here are the odds via WynnBET for this first round matchup, as well as analysis, trends, and my prediction for the game.
Iowa State vs. LSU Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread:
- Iowa State +5 (-110)
- LSU -5 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Iowa State +170
- LSU -210
Total:
- 126.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Iowa State vs. LSU Betting Trends, Insights, and Analysis
Iowa State
- Regular Season Record: 20-12
- ATS Record: 17-15
- Over/Under Record: 15-17
- SoS: 33rd
- Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 104.3
- Defensive Efficiency: 90.3
- eFG%: 49.9%
- FT%: 68.4%
- 3PT%: 32.1%
- Last Year’s Tournament Result: N/A
- Odds to win National Championship: +50000
LSU
- Regular Season Record: 22-11
- ATS Record: 19-14
- Over/Under Record: 14-19
- SoS: 14th
- Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 107.6
- Defensive Efficiency: 88.5
- eFG%:49.5%
- FT%: 73.1%
- 3PT%: 31.9%
- Last Year’s Tournament Result: Round of 32 (Lost to Michigan)
- Odds to win National Championship: +7500
Iowa State vs. LSU Prediction and Pick
These two teams are similar in a lot of ways. They both struggle on the offensive side of the court, but are dominant defensively. Iowa State ranks 181st in effective field goal percentage and LSU ranks 201st. Meanwhile, the two teams rank in the top 20 in the country in defensive efficiency. The Tigers come in at sixth, and the Cyclones come in at 18th.
Both teams also turn the ball over at a high rate, ranking in the bottom 100 in turnovers per possession, and Iowa State's slow pace of play is evident in the fact that they rank 261st in field goal attempts per game.
I'm going to be look towards the UNDER, but if you want a side, I'd take Iowa State and the points considering just how similar these two teams are in almost every area.
Pick: UNDER 126.5
Check out Iain's detailed 2022 college basketball betting record here.
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