The Texas Longhorns (+15,000 to win the national title) have been struggling since the calendar flipped to 2019, but fortunately for them, they play in the Big 12, where there’s always chance to boost one team’s resume for March Madness. Take for example their upcoming match against the No. 20 Iowa State Cyclones (+4,000 to win the national title) this coming weekend in Ames. Will the Longhorns shock Iowa State? Or will the Cyclones add to their visitors’ headaches?
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Betting Preview for the Texas Longhorns vs. Iowa State Cyclones College Basketball Game on February 2, 2019
Where: Hilton Coliseum, Ames
When: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 2:00 PM ET
Line: Texas Longhorns (odds) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Texas Longhorns (11-9 Overall / 3-4 Conference)
It’s been a topsy-turvy ride in Big 12 play for Shaka Smart and the Longhorns. They opened the conference play with back-to-back wins against the Kansas State Wildcats and the West Virginia Mountaineers, but since then, they have gone 1-5 SU, with their lone win over that stretch coming against the No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. In their most recent outing, the Longhorns were upset by the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, 98-88, over the weekend during the Big 12-SEC challenge. It’s an embarrassing loss for the Longhorns against one of the worst – if not the worst team – in the SEC. Having said all of that, there are a number of things to be wary about Texas if you’re the Cyclones. For one, the Longhorns can play tough defense. They are 59th in the nation with 66.8 points allowed per game. They don’t score a lot, but can cut any opposing team’s offense down to size. Texas are great in keeping opponents from taking shots around the rim. Teams only take 27.9 percent of their shots against Texas at the rim.
The under is 3-2 in the Longhorns’ last five home games.
Betting on the Iowa State Cyclones (15-5 Overall / 4-3 Conference)
Much like the Longhorns, the Cyclones are having trouble getting consistency in conference play. Pending a showdown at home against the Mountaineers on Wednesday, Iowa State is 4-3 SU in the Big 12. Unlike Texas, though, the Cyclones didn’t let the conference down in the Big 12-SEC challenge last Saturday, when they downed the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels on the road to the tune of an 87-73 score. Despite the Cyclones shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly by committing an insane total of 19 turnovers, they managed to make up for it by being just as crazy in converting their shots. Iowa State shot 69.1 percent from the field and 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from behind the arc. Freshman guard Talen Horton-Tucker paced the Cyclones with 23 points, Marial Shayok had 17 points, while Lindell Wigginton had 18 points off the bench. As a team, the Cyclones are 12th on KenPom with 117.2 points per 100 possessions and 33rd nationally with just 65.5 points allowed per contest.
Iowa State is 5-4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 home games against the Longhorns.
Writer’s Prediction
Iowa State wins, 77-71.
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