Heading into Friday, the No. 6 LSU Tigers face off against the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones in the Round of 64. This matchup will be in the Midwest region, one of the tougher regions of the tournament. LSU and Iowa State are both solid squads, and this figures to be a pretty hard-fought matchup.
LSU comes into the tournament after winning three of their last five, with both losses coming against Arkansas. LSU has been a part of many close games recently, and this game could be no different, as they rank 19th in the nation, according to KenPom.
Iowa State is coming in on one of the coldest stretches of any team in the tournament, losing their last three games by a combined 55 points. As a result, KenPom has the Cyclones ranked at 48th.
LSU vs Iowa State Odds
LSU vs Iowa State CBB gameday odds are current as of 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 15, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: LSU (-190) vs Iowa State (+155)
- Spread: LSU -4.5 (-105) vs Iowa State +4.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: Over 127.5 (-110) / Under 127.5 (-110)
- Implied Score: LSU 66, Iowa State 61.5
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LSU vs Iowa State Prediction
This matchup is one of the more interesting ones in the first round of the NCAA tournament. LSU is one of the most underrated teams in the entire bracket, and Iowa State might be one of the most overrated.
The Cyclones have shown their true colors as of late, getting blown out multiple times over the past two weeks.
Both teams have incredible defenses, but LSU holds the better offense in terms of production and efficiency. Both defenses can be considered top-10 units in the NCAA.
LSU vs Iowa State Score Pick
LSU 75, Iowa State 63
While this game should be a fairly low-scoring battle, expect LSU to continue Iowa State’s trend by handing them a double-digit loss. LSU has been relatively hot, and their offensive strengths should keep Iowa State’s hands full on that end.
- Print your 2022 March Madness bracket.
I’m not expecting LSU to ever be in a state of complete dominance, but I still envision a strong showing from them throughout this game.
LSU vs Iowa State Best Bets
LSU -4.5 (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1.5 Units
This is LSU’s game to lose against the spread, and I simply cannot see them failing to cover. LSU’s defense ranks 5th in the nation in adjusted defense while their adjusted offense ranks a mediocre 89th.
With Iowa State, they are constructed similarly with a defensive mindset. However, they are still behind the Tigers with a 10th-ranked adjusted defense and an adjusted offense that ranks a measly 151st in the nation, a truly awful mark graded against the rest of the tournament contenders.
OVER 127.5 Total Points (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1.5 Units
I believe a wager on the Over in this game presents a valuable opportunity to cash in on the nature of March Madness. Teams tend to pull offensive production from virtually nowhere and put up numbers they never have before.
LSU is a sleeping giant in that regard, and I strongly believe they can cover at least 60 percent of this number by themselves. Iowa State putting up the other 40 percent might be a tough sell, but this total is so low that the margin for error is slim.
