The Iowa State Cyclones (1-3 overall, 0-1 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1, 0-0) in a Friday night tussle at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W. Va. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Iowa State-West Virginia college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
West Virginia is No. 7 in the Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Iowa State at West Virginia: Spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Iowa State +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000) | West Virginia -2000 (bet $2,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Iowa State +15.5 (-110) | West Virginia -15.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Iowa State at West Virginia: Three things to know
- West Virginia has held opponents to a 38.5% field-goal mark since losing to Gonzaga 87-82 Dec. 2. The Mountaineers have gone 3-0 since then, and with the shutdown defensive effort, have averaged a 12.3-point margin of victory. Over those three wins, WVU has upped its ball-hawking performance to the tune of 15 forced turnovers per game.
- The Cyclones have lost three straight games since opening their season with an 80-63 win Nov. 29. Iowa State has struggled on defense, allowing 78.2 points per game. That ranks 277th out of 328 NCAA-I teams that have played so far, and it’s not a recent phenomenon. A year ago, ISU’s defense (73.0 PPG) ranked 276th out of 353.
- WVU swept the season series from Iowa State a year ago (with wins by scores of 76-61 and 77-71). Since 2016, the Mountaineers are 8-3 straight up and 6-4-1 against the spread against the Cyclones.
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Iowa State at West Virginia: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
West Virginia 86, Iowa State 68
Money line (ML)
For a thousand reasons (looking at the two prices here), PASS.
Against the spread (ATS)
The Mountaineers are finding their rhythm with their high-pressure defense. The Cyclones take a lot of 3s and they’ll need to make a lot to stay within 15 points in this one. Figure on the Mountaineers having a sizable advantage on uncontested 15-footers with the clock stopped. BACK WEST VIRGINIA -15.5 (-110).
Over/Under (O/U)
The Over has hit in nine of the last 10 meetings in this series. ISU’s defense won’t be able to hold WVU under 80 points. Peg this one as ticking into the 150s and BACK THE OVER 146.5 (-115).
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