Seeds aside, Miami and Iowa State are both very capable squads and have put it on full display so far in the NCAA Tournament, beating some of the best teams in the bracket.
After losing by just four points to Duke in the ACC Tournament, Miami has come out with a vengeance in March. As a 10-seed, Miami has toppled the USC Trojans and dominated the Auburn Tigers.
Iowa State has been the true surprise. After getting demolished in the Big 12 Tournament by 31 points against Texas Tech, the Cyclones have bounced back admirably. Iowa State has put together a couple impressive wins to add to their résumé, defeating 6-seed LSU and 3-seed Wisconsin by five points each.
This should be one of the best battles within the Sweet 16, as two double-digit seeds face off with one heading to the Elite 8 as a Cinderella story.
Please note that all March Madness odds are current as of Wednesday, March 23, at 3 p.m. ET from DraftKings.
Miami vs Iowa State Same-Game Parlay
Parlay Odds (+222) at DraftKings
- Miami Moneyline (-145)
- OVER 133.5 (-110)
Wager: 1 Unit
Miami has had the tougher road to this point. Knocking off Auburn is one of the more impressive feats any team has accomplished in the tournament.
Iowa State found a solid run of luck at the right time. While the Cyclones are still a solid team, this is where I believe the road ends for them. Expect Miami to cover the spread and head to the Elite 8 with the powerhouses.
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As for the betting total, I find this one to be interesting. Iowa State is one of the slowest teams in the NCAA in terms of pace, and Miami is quite the opposite. In fact, all of Miami’s last nine contests have gone over 133.5 points.
- Read our full Miami vs Iowa State game predictions.
Iowa State’s story is a lot different, but their outstanding defense has yet to face the Hurricanes’ elite offensive firepower. I expect this game to go Over, making it our CBB bet of the day.
Miami vs Iowa State Longshot Same-Game Parlay
Parlay Odds (+4000) at DraftKings
- Miami Team Total OVER 71.5 Points
- Miami Win By 10+
- Iowa State Halftime/Miami Full-Time
Wager: 1 Unit
Continuing with the theme of backing the Over, I like Miami to score 72 points in this game. Iowa State will do their best to limit the damage, coming in with the fifth-best defense in college basketball, according to KenPom.
Iowa State prefers to play a low-scoring, slower game, but if Miami has any say about the pace of this matchup, they should be able to score more than 72 points.
As mentioned, I like Miami to win this game quite a bit, but I also like them to cover the small -2.5 spread. They will be taking an 18th-ranked offense into the matchup against the Cyclones’ defense, presenting a matchup between two specialists.
I do strongly envision the Hurricanes taking this game and finding themselves in the Elite 8, but because of the pace Iowa State plays at, I do believe there’s a strong possibility they lead at halftime. For this reason, I am backing the prop that has Iowa State to be ahead at halftime and behind when the final buzzer sounds.
