The Iowa State Cyclones are skidding down the Big 12 standings following yet another loss to the Texas Longhorns on Monday. With the Tennessee Volunteers coming to town, the Cyclones get a reprieve from battling Big 12 teams, but they will still need to get a win to improve their resume. The Vols are No. 12 in the RPI rankings, which make Tennessee a tasty victim for Iowa State. Tennessee, meanwhile, is also looking to get a top-100 RPI win to boost its March Madness application. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the Tennessee Volunteers vs Iowa State Cyclones NCAA Basketball Game on January 27, 2018
Tennessee boasts of seemingly balanced offense and defense. The Volunteers also take pride in having Grant Williams on their roster. The sophomore forward has become the team’s go-to-guy, and he rarely disappoints. Williams is leading the team with 16.4 points per game on 48.4 field goal percentage. It was not long ago when he erupted for 37 points during a road win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 9. He’s going to have plenty of scoring opportunities against Iowa State, which allows 62.1 field goal attempts per game. That’s one of the highest allowed by Division I teams this season. Apart from Williams, the Vols also have Admiral Schofield, who, aside from having a nice name, is second on the team with 13.3 points per game. During the Vols’ 76-65 upset win against then No. 17 Kentucky on Jan 6, Schofield put up 20 points. Schofield has scored at least 11 points in each of his last nine games. Tennessee, which is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games, averages 77.7 points and gives up 69.2 points per game.
Betting on the Iowa State Cyclones (11-7)
After scoring their biggest victory of the season with a 70-52 takedown of No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders last Saturday, the Cyclones fell back to Earth hard, no thanks to a 73-57 loss at the hands of the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Iowa State had no answer for Longhorns big man Mohamed Bamba, who straight-up abused the Cyclones for 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. The Vols don’t have anyone of Bamba’s caliber, so the Cyclones will have an easier time containing Tennessee’s inside game. The Cyclones like to move the ball around to find the best scoring opportunity, as they average 16.6 assists per game and 0.63 assists per field goal made, but they will have to be extra careful against Tennessee after they committed 13 turnovers in the loss to Texas. Iowa State is 2-0 SU and ATS in their last two games in Ames.
Writer’s Prediction:
Iowa State bounces back with a 75-72 win over Tennessee.
