The 11th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones welcome in the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Big 12 College Basketball action tonight. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPNu. Currently the Betting Odds for the game have the Cyclones as a heavy favorite to pick up the win in this one.
Iowa State lost at Texas Tech a couple of weeks ago in a game where they weren't focused early, got behind by a ton and couldn't come back. Now the Cyclones are looking to even the score for the season against a Texas Tech team that has not won on the road (0-6) yet this season. Fred Hoiberg's club has Final Four potential when they are playing at their best and in this game expect the Cyclones to bring their maximum effort.
In-season revenge is a great angle in conference games. Iowa State has to still have the sour thoughts from losing to the Red Raiders, but they are also coming off a loss on Monday at Kansas in another game where they started a big slow and got beat up in the second half.
Iowa State leads the country in assists per game, led by Monte Morris' impressive sophomore season. The Cyclones are 12-0 in home games this season and really feed off the crowd when playing in Ames. Today they'll have to keep Texas Tech off the boards and look to run, which puts Iowa State at their best. Georges Niang is one of the best players in the country and has averages 22 points per game in their last three games overall.
Texas Tech has just a single player that averages double figures with Devaugntah Williams at 10.7 points per game. Williams and Toddrick Gotcher combined to toss in 39 points in the team's win over Iowa State previously.
That's a significant difference from Iowa State's five players in double figures a game, led by Niang and Bryce Dejean-Jones. One of the reasons Iowa State has been so good this season is their inability to turn the basketball over on a frequent basis. But when they do turn it over and don't play well, it ends in defeat.
Look for the Cyclones to get out and run in this one, turning Texas Tech over. There's some in-season revenge here for the Cyclones and they are playing at home, where they haven't lost all season. Kansas still has a strong hold on the conference, but if the Cyclones can win out they've got a chance. That schedule includes several games against ranked opponents, but first things first in this one, where they have to take care of business and beat up on Texas Tech.
Free Pick: Iowa State 82, Texas Tech 60
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