Will the Cyclones Blow Away the Buckeyes in Hurricane Country?

Two teams from big-brand conferences meandered their way through the regular season before winding up in the Big Dance.

The Ohio State Buckeyes' 8-12 record was good enough for eighth plance in the Big Ten, which was good enough for the Dance chaperones to extend them the eighth and last invitation outta that conference.

A .500 record -- 9-9 -- wasn't exactly a hearty endorsement for Iowa State, either, but then the Cyclones rose up and swept Kansas away to claim the Big XII's automatic berth by winning the conference tourney.

 

Bovada's line on this pairing is set at Iowa State -5½ with the total at 140 and the moneyline at Iowa State -240 and Ohio State +200.

Here's what the cold, hard computer analysis sees:

Why you should bet on Ohio State ...

Brothers Kaleb and André Wesson are the Buckeyes' engine room. Kaleb leads the team in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg) while shooting 50% from the field. André chips in 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while logging the club's second-most minutes (29.5 per game) on the team

They're complemented by guards CJ Jackson (12.2 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Luther Muhammad (8.0 ppg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg), giving head coach Chris Holtmann a quartet he can count on.

 

Why you should bet on Iowa State ...

The Cyclones ranked 12th nationally in FG percentage, hitting 47.7% from the floor. Dudes were pretty right-on from the arc, too, nailing 36.5% from downtown. Their proficiency is reflected by their average of 15 assists per game. They keep the ball moving, which sets a positive rhythm when those shots go up.

Iowa State's led by their battalion of guards: Marial Shayok (18.6 ppg, 49 percent shooting), Lindell Wiggington (13.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.2 apg), Talen Horton-Tucker (12.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg), and Nick Weiler-Babb (9.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg). Forward Michael Jacobson (11.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 58 percent shooting) does his bit for the bigs.

 

Instant analysis ...

Iowa State dominated the Big 12 Tournament when beating fellow Dancers Baylor, Kansas State, and Kansas. Dudes are definitely peaking at the right time.

Not only that, but invite or no, Ohio State’s just not a very good team. It’s surprising that they even got a bid. The Buckeyes have gone 0-8 ATS in their last 8 NCAA Tournament games and, if it wasn't for the Wesson brothers, their 43.7% FG stat would be tragic

ATS pick: Iowa State -5

Result: Ohio State 62 Iowa State 59 ... Buckeyes cover

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