Iowa State Cyclones at Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview
08 December 2022
The 2022-23 college basketball season is well underway at this point, and conference matchups have started to take place in many leagues. There are still some non-conference games on the schedule, though, and the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Iowa State Cyclones in a huge battle on Thursday night.
Iowa State has been a huge surprise this season, and they have been one of the most impressive teams in the country. The Cyclones have gotten off to a 7-1 start, and that includes impressive wins over Iowa State and Villanova.
Iowa is coming into this game off of a loss as they were beaten up by the Duke Blue Devils in Madison Square Garden. The Hawkeyes are still coming into this game with a record of 6-2 on the year, but they have fallen out of the Top 25.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 4.5-point betting favorites over the Iowa State Cyclones in this huge rivalry matchup.
Cyclones Can Get Stops
Most college basketball programs are now focused on scoring points to win games, but that isn’t how Iowa State goes about things. The Cyclones are holding opponents to just 57 points per game this season, and they have shut some explosive teams down.
Iowa State is going to try to slow the pace down on both ends of the floor, but they do have to shoot the ball better as the season goes along. The Cyclones are shooting just 44 percent from the field and scoring right around 71 points per game.
Guard Jaren Holmes leads the team with 14.8 points per game this season, and he is going to need to set the tone offensively for Iowa State.
Hawkeyes Want to Play Fast
Iowa lost a ton of talent from last year’s team, but they haven’t changed the way that they play on the offensive end. The Hawkeyes love to push the ball down the floor, and they are always ready to take the first open shot that comes available to them.
Kris Murray has turned into a star at the college level, and he leads the team with close to 20 points per game this season. Iowa is scoring over 83 points per game, but both Duke and TCU have found a way to slow them down of late.
The Hawkeyes have to get better on the defensive end as the season moves along, as they just allow too many easy baskets. Iowa isn’t facing a great offensive team in this one, but they still must find a way to be better.
Hawkeyes Hang On For Win
The team that is able to set the tempo in this game is going to get the victory, and that should be much easier for the Hawkeyes to do at home. Iowa wants to speed this game up and then find a way to get the job done on the offensive end.
Iowa State has been extremely impressive on the defensive end of the floor this season, but they still need to figure out a way to get more offense. The Cyclones are having a great season, but taking on their biggest rival on the road is going to be the toughest test they have had to face all season long.
Take the 4.5 points and bet on the Iowa State Cyclones on Thursday night, but the Hawkeyes will find a way to win this game at home.
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All Media on this page by Associated Press.
