Opening Kentucky vs Iowa State Odds for Round of 32 – Wildcats Need Another Miracle

• Otega Oweh’s half-court buzzer-beater saved Kentucky’s season in a wild 89-84 OT win over Santa Clara
• #2 Iowa State steamrolled Tennessee State 108-74 in its tournament opener
• Check out the opening Kentucky vs Iowa State odds for the 2026 NCAA Tournament round of 32

#7 Kentucky (22-13) is still alive thanks to Otega Oweh’s miracle half-court buzzer-beater that forced overtime against Santa Clara on Friday. The Wildcats survived 89-84 and now face a massive step up in class against #2 Iowa State (28-7), who demolished Tennessee State 108-74 on Thursday.

Tip-off is set for Sunday, March 22nd at 12:00 PM ET in St. Louis. The Cyclones have opened as comfortable favorites in the college basketball odds.

Opening Kentucky vs Iowa State Odds

Iowa State has opened as 4.5-point favorites and -210 on the moneyline, giving the Cyclones roughly a 68% implied win probability. Kentucky is +172 to pull the upset and advance to the Sweet 16. The spread is tighter than you might expect given the seeding gap, likely a nod to UK’s battle-tested SEC schedule.

The game total sits at 147.5 with -110 on both sides. Both defenses are strong, which could keep this one in the low 140s.

Odds as of March 20 at FanDuel. New customers can claim the FanDuel promo code and get a bonus to bet on March Madness.

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Kentucky vs Iowa State First-Round Recap

Kentucky needed a miracle to get here. Oweh launched a desperation heave from just inside half court as time expired against Santa Clara, banking it in to force overtime. He then hit the go-ahead free throws in the extra period to seal an 89-84 victory.

The senior guard finished with a career-high 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Mouhamed Dioubate added 17 points and Denzel Aberdeen, a transfer from Florida’s national championship team, chipped in 16. Brandon Garrison also came up huge in OT, blocking two three-point attempts and throwing down a breakaway dunk to seal it.

Iowa State had no such drama. T.J. Otzelberger’s Cyclones raced out to a 38-point lead and cruised to a 108-74 rout of Tennessee State. ISU shot 47.8% from three (11-23) and forced 16 turnovers, scoring 23 points off those giveaways.

Nate Heise led the way with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Blake Buchanan dished eight assists without a turnover. Killyan Toure grabbed nine rebounds, seven on the offensive glass. The Cyclones’ dominance is a big reason why the Kentucky vs Iowa State odds are so lopsided.

The KenPom gap between these teams is significant. Iowa State ranks 7th overall with an elite defensive efficiency rating of 91.4 (5th nationally), while Kentucky sits 28th. The Cyclones also hold a clear edge on offense at 123.8 adjusted efficiency compared to UK’s 120.7.

Kentucky has faced the tougher schedule (3rd in SOS vs. Iowa State’s 31st), but the Wildcats’ 5-11 Quad 1 record shows they’ve struggled against top competition. Iowa State is a perfect 10-0 in Quad 2 games.

Oweh is the X-factor for Mark Pope’s squad. The Oklahoma transfer broke the Kentucky record for points scored in a player’s first two seasons, a mark that had stood since the Wildcats’ 1951 national championship season.

If UK has any hope of pulling the upset, Oweh will need another monster performance against Iowa State’s suffocating defense. The Cyclones are among the favorites in the March Madness championship odds for a reason.

Kentucky vs Iowa State Team Stats

Bookmark SBD’s March Madness bracket to follow every second-round matchup and track updated lines this weekend.