The Iowa State Cyclones have played well enough this year to merit NCAA men’s basketball tournament consideration, but needs to string some wins together to get a berth. They hit the road this week for a winnable game against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Oklahoma is a fresh off a fantastic upset of top-10 team West Virginia, but is still under .500 on the season. This is an interesting matchup and one Iowa State desperately needs as the season winds down.
At 2 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Iowa State is 11-6 straight up and 7-7 against the spread. The Cyclones have played in four road games and have covered in two of them. Iowa State is 3-5 against the spread as the favorite this year and could be giving points again in this one despite being on the road.
Oklahoma is 7-9 straight up and 7-6-1 against the spread. The Sooners have played six games at home and have covered in three of them. Oklahoma is 4-2-1 against the spread as the underdog this season.
Player to Watch
Jordan Woodard - Oklahoma’s senior guard had the game-winning points as time ticked down in overtime as the Sooners stunned top-10 team West Virginia recently. He will aim to continue his clutch play if this one is close late.
Woodard is averaging 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. He is shooting 42.5 percent from the field, which isn’t great but is a marked improvement from years past. He has been one of the better players on the team in all four of his years at Oklahoma and has taken over as the clear-cut leader in 2016-17.
Key Stat
3. Losses to ranked teams by Iowa State this season, each of which have come by four points or fewer. The Cyclones have yet to knock off a nationally ranked opponent but have shown their ability to compete against Gonzaga, Baylor and Kansas.
Iowa State lost to No. 11 Gonzaga 73-71 in non-conference action, and then fell to No. 2 Baylor, 65-63, and No. 2 Kansas, 76-72, in recent games. It’s good news that the Cyclones have remained in those games, but they have to increase their win total to be a legitimate NCAA men’s basketball tournament candidate.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Iowa State has dropped two straight to fall into the middle of the pack in the Big 12. Kansas, Baylor and West Virginia are the clear best teams in the conference, but Iowa State can make a case for next in line with a nice finish.
The Cyclones could be a team on the bubble when it comes to March Madness so must take advantage of opportunities like this. The Sooners are riding high off the recent upset of West Virginia and will enter feeling good, but the Cyclones have the better team.
Monte Morris and Nazareth Mitrou-Long are both averaging more than 15 points per game and are a nice pairing leading the way for the Cyclones. They should each be able to have big games in this one.
Iowa State is outscoring its opponent by an average of nearly 14 points per game while Oklahoma only averages about two more points than its opponent. The Cyclones have been more consistent throughout the season and most of their losses have been close.
The road game is a small reason to give this one pause, but the Cyclones should win a tight one. However, keep an eye on the spread as the Sooners may be able to build off their recent upset of the Mountaineers and cover in this one as well.
College Basketball Odds: Iowa State 81, Oklahoma 77
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