The Iowa State Cyclones host the West Virginia Mountaineers in Big 12 College Basketball action today. The game is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Currently the College Basketball Betting Odds for the game have the Cyclones favored to pick up the conference win.
Iowa State owns one of the best home court advantages in all of college basketball. Ames certainly hasn't been a place where road teams have succeeded this season as the Cyclones have picked up all 13 wins on their own floor. West Virginia, on the other hand, hasn't been poor away from their own floor either. West Virginia has posted a 4-2 road record, but it's going to be difficult to knock off the Cyclones here.
Fred Hoiberg's team averages 80 points a game for the season, which ranks 12th best nationally. The Cyclones shoot the basketball well at 48.8 percent, which also ranks 12th nationally. Sharing the wealth is also a positive for Iowa State's up and down team as they hand out 17.5 assists per game, ranking second best in the country. Monte Morris leads the Cyclones from the point guard position, handing out 5.5 assists per game to a team that has six players averaging in double digits per game. Morris is one of those at 10.6 points per game.
Georges Niang might be the player of the year in the Big 12, but he has a very good supporting cast as Bryce Dejean-Jones, Naz Long, Dusin Hogue and Jameel McKay all have double-digit averages as well. Iowa State is a very explosive team that loves to get out and run, taking advantage of their opponents in transition.
West Virginia can score as well, averaging better than 75 points per game. They just won a close battle against Kansas State while Iowa State got beat up by Kansas. The Mountaineers need a big game from Juwan Staten (14.2 ppg) and Devin Williams, a double-double potential player. West Virginia plays a lot of guys and can by a physical basketball team, but if they get into a running game against Iowa State, they won't win.
The Mountaineers, though, might be able to take advantage of a poor Iowa State defense. The Cyclones have been suspect on that end of the floor multiple times this season and it's cost them. West Virginia is the best overall team in the country in offensive rebounding, hauling in better than 17 per game, which leads to second chance opportunities. If the Mountaineers can't win the battle on the glass, they can't win.
Free Pick: Iowa State 77, West Virginia 67
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