The No. 20 BYU Cougars take on the No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones in a Big XII matchup on Wednesday, March 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN2.
BYU (21-8, 9-7 Big XII) is currently on a two-game winning streak after victories over Kansas and TCU. The Cougars rank 16th overall at KenPom and 9th in adjusted offensive efficiency. They are currently projected to earn a No. 5 seed at ESPN. The Cougars, led by Jaxson Robinson, average 82.7 points per game (15th in the nation) and grab 39.9 rebounds per game (9th in the nation). They rank third in the nation in assists per game with 18.9.
Earlier this season, BYU defeated Iowa State 87-72, and won the game at the three-point line. They were 13-for-35 from the perimeter compared to the Cyclones’ 4-for-14 line, and if they are able to heat up from the outside again on Wednesday, Iowa State could have a hard time keeping up.
Iowa State (23-6, 12-4 Big XII) is on a three-game winning streak, and most recently defeated UCF. They are projected to earn a 2 seed in March, and rank 10th at KenPom and 2nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cyclones hold opponents to 61.9 points per game (5th in the nation) and grab 10.5 steals per game (2nd in the nation).
They will need to lean on their defense against a young, energetic BYU offense that has given plenty of teams fits this season — including Iowa State themselves.
BYU vs. Iowa State odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Iowa State -7
Total: 145
Moneyline: Iowa State -305, BYU +245
BYU made quick work of Iowa State earlier this season, and while the Cougars are now the visitors, I still like them to keep this one close. Iowa State struggled to contain BYU from the outside last game, and if they lean on that strategy again, the Cyclones may have a hard time scoring enough points to gain a confident lead. I like BYU to cover here.