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The only Sweet 16 matchup between double-digit seeds will feature the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes taking on the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones on Friday night for a spot in the Elite Eight. The game will get started at approximately 9:59 p.m. ET from the United Center in Chicago and will air on TBS with the Hurricanes as slight favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook.
No. 10 Miami Hurricanes: 25-10 (14-6 ACC):
First round result: 68-66 vs. No. 7 USC
Second round result: 79-61 vs. No. 2 Auburn
KenPom rating: 42 Overall, 18 Offense, 121 Defense
NET ranking: 62, (4-3 Vs. Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Kameron McGusty (17.5 ppg)
Key stat: The Hurricanes turned the ball over seven times in their first two NCAA Tournament games combined.
The Miami Hurricanes needed some free throws in the final seconds to knock off the No. 7 USC Trojans in the first round, and they looked very good in a 79-61 upset over the No. 2 Auburn Tigers.
Kameron McGusty has put up a ton of shots in postseason play, averaging 16.8 field goal attempts in four games, and his shooting percentage could determine whether the Hurricanes move on.
Watch for Miami to try to get hot from three-point range where they have really struggled through their first two NCAA Tournament games.
No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones: 22-12 (7-11 Big 12):
First round result: 59-54 vs. No. 6 LSU
Second round result: 54-49 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
KenPom rating: 37 Overall, 160 Offense, 5 Defense
NET ranking: 49, (9-8 Vs. Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Izaiah Brockington (17.1 ppg)
Key stat: Iowa State forced 36 turnovers over their first two NCAA Tournament games combined.
The Iowa State Cyclones defense played a major role in low-scoring victories over the No. 6 seed LSU Tigers and No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers to reach the Sweet 16. This has been an incredible turnaround in Year 1 under TJ Otzelberger, taking over a team that finished 2-22 overall and 0-18 in Big 12 play last season.
Gabe Kalscheur played one of the best games of the season against the Badgers when he scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor.
Watch for Iowa State to lock down defensively as their first two opponents shot just 14.6% from three-point range on 41 combined attempts.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Point spread: Miami -2.5
Point total: 133.5
Moneyline: Miami -140, Iowa State +120
The Pick
Against The Spread Pick: Iowa State +2.5
Point total pick: Under 133.5
Pick to Win: Iowa State
Miami has been extremely cold from long range as they’re shooting just 13.8% on 3-pointers on 29 attempts through their first two NCAA Tournament games. The Hurricanes probably won’t shoot that poorly again, but it’s tough to say there will be a massive upgrade going up against one of the top defenses in the country. It’s going to take one of the better offenses in college basketball to keep me from taking the over in a game involving Iowa State because they’re playing at a high level defensively right now. The Cyclones will win as a slight underdog with the under cashing as well.
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