West Virginia vs Iowa State Picks & Odds (Feb. 27)

• The Iowa State Cyclones are 4-point favorites when they host West Virginia Monday
• The Mountaineers have played eight ranked teams in their last 12 games, going 6-6 overall
• See below for the latest West Virginia vs Iowa State odds, plus analysis and best bets

Two teams sputtering down the stretch need a win when the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-13, 5-11 Big 12) visit the 23rd-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (17-11, 8-8 Big 12).

For the Mountaineers, who have already beaten the Cyclones once this year, another win against a ranked opponent should help them earn an at-large bid.

Iowa State are currently looking at a 5-seed in the March Madness projected tournament bracket, but they need to regain the form that had them at 13-2 on the year, before a slide that’s seen them win four in their last 13, facing a crush of ranked opponents.

It all gets under way Monday (Feb 27) at 9pm ET from the James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA. You can watch the game live on ESPN2.

West Virginia vs Iowa State Odds

The college basketball odds currently have the host Cyclones as 4-point favorites, in a game that features a total of 134.5.

When they say it’s tough sledding in the Big 12, it’s no joke: six of the top seven teams in KenPom’s strength of schedule metric are from the Big 12.

West Virginia checks in at five, an undisputed stat that head coach Bob Huggins believes earns his Mountaineers an at-large bid, despite a 5-11 conference mark.

Iowa State ranks right behind in sixth. They’re currently fourth in the conference at 8-8, and should be able to lock up a first round bye for the upcoming conference tourney, if they can hang on to a top-6 spot.

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Odds as of February 26th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

West Virginia vs Iowa State Betting Analysis

The Mountaineers played the 3rd-ranked Kansas Jayhawks tough last game, but fell short of the upset in a 76-74 defeat.

There have been no easy landings for the Mountaineers down the home stretch. Since Jan 18, eight of their 12 games have been against ranked opponents. They’ve gone 6-6 during that stretch, and 3-5 vs ranked teams. The Kansas game was the first of three straight against ranked opponents to close out the year.

Erik Stephenson was the top scorer for WVU, with 23 points, to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Tre Mitchell had 20 points and seven rebounds. Kedrian Johnson chipped in with 15 points, but had an ugly eight turnovers, part of 21 overall.

3⃣RIK pic.twitter.com/jw9LdZtdpa

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) February 25, 2023

That’s been one of the weaknesses of the Mountaineers, who average 13 turnovers a game, which ranks 230th in the NCAA.

Offense has been one of their strengths all year, as they rank 19th in KenPom’s adjusted offense metric and average 76.5 points per game, the 64th-ranked scoring offense in the country.

Iowa State could use an influx of scoring. They lost to Oklahoma 61-50 last game, and they have now dropped five of their last six. In four of those losses, they couldn’t top 56 points.

Gabe Kalscheur was the leading scorer for the Cyclones, netting 12 points. Tamin Lipsey added 10 points, with five rebounds and four steals. They were the only two players to crack double digits in scoring.

We've Missed You, Hilton.@robbyj1415#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/YmnY0zHVIu

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 25, 2023

As a team, Iowa State shot an abysmal 18-for-58 from the field (31%), which included a dreadful 4-for-15 mark from distance, a 26.7% clip.

On the year, they’re 261st in the nation in scoring with a 68.3 average, though they’re a more respectable 107 in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.

Their defense keeps them in games, as Iowa State surrenders just 62 points a game, the 17th-best mark in the nation, and they’re eighth in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric.

West Virginia vs Iowa State Prediction

The Mountaineers beat the previously 11th-ranked Cyclones 76-71 on February 8. Johnson was the high scorer for WVU with 22 points and six dimes. Jaren Homes led Iowa State with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Location may matter in this one: West Virginia is just 2-8 away from home on the season, and 4-6 against the spread. Iowa State, meanwhile, is 13-2 at home, going 9-6 ATS in those 15 games.

West Virginia vs Iowa State Head-to-Head

The Cyclones have not been a great bet of late, however, going 1-5 ATS in their last six games.

Let’s stick with the total in this matchup. WVU has cashed the over in 27 of their last 35 road games, and they’ve hit the over in 12 of their last 16 against teams with a winning record.

While not as great a sample, Iowa State has gone over their last four vs teams with winning records as well.

Pick: OVER 134.5 (-110)