Oklahoma vs Iowa State Odds: Cyclones Huge Favorite
Iowa State Seeking Revenge for Earlier Loss
The Oklahoma Sooners visit the Iowa State Cyclones in a decent Big 12 Conference match-up Wednesday. The Sooners are looking to solidify their spot in the March Madness bracket but have a tough remaining schedule.
This isn’t a very good spot for Oklahoma, which is coming off an overtime win against rival Oklahoma State and has Houston up next. But with 19 wins, the Sooners must get a few more to impress the selection committee. The Cyclones bounced back with a win over West Virginia after losing to Houston.
The Oklahoma vs Iowa State odds see the Cyclones favored at home by 9.5 points. The total on the game is 137.
Cyclones vs Sooners 
Day/Time:
Location: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Streaming: ESPN+
Sooners Look to Defense
It’s been an up-and-down season for Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference, which sits at 7-7. The Sooners are 19-8 overall, in part due to a pretty weak non-conference schedule. Oklahoma has had a couple of solid wins this season against Iowa State and BYU.
But a few more won’t hurt to boost its NCAA Tournament chances. The Sooners are 14-13 against the spread and 12-15 in totals this season. Oklahoma is 4-5 ATS as an underdog this season and 6-5 against the number away from home. There aren’t any significant trends one way or the other for the Sooners.
The strength of Oklahoma is the defense, which is No. 7 in the Big 12 in the KenPom rankings 2024. The Sooners are No. 2 in 3-point defense but do allow teams to shoot 51.6% on 2-pointers. Oklahoma is last in the conference at forcing turnovers but No. 1 in preventing offensive rebounds.
The Sooners would rate a little bit higher if they made a few more steals and blocked a few more shots, but the defense isn’t bad. Oklahoma ranks No. 24 in the nation.
Offense can sometimes be a struggle for the Sooners, who are a little below average shooting the ball. Oklahoma does a decent job getting to the foul line, but shoots 47% from the field. Oklahoma Sooners is a little better from 2-point range, where it’s No. 6 in the conference, compared to 3-point range, where the Sooners are No. 10. The Sooners protect the ball reasonably well but don’t get many offensive rebounds.
Iowa State Still Forcing Turnovers
The Cyclones are ranked No. 2 in the conference’s efficiency ratings and are the best in the conference, forcing turnovers. One-quarter of the opposing team’s possessions wind up as miscues, so the Cyclones can allow a few more shots to drop.
Iowa State Cyclones is No. 6 in 3-point defense and No. 9 in 2-point defense in conference games. The Cyclones allow too many offensive rebounds and send teams to the foul line more than they should. Iowa State sees more 3-pointers than any team in the Big 12, with 45.7% of the shots taken against coming from 3-point range.
The Cyclones are pretty average offensively. Iowa State is No. 6 in the conference in 3-point shooting and No. 9 in 2-point shooting percentage. Scoring from the foul line has been a problem, where the Cyclones are making just 69%. Iowa State doesn’t make a lot of turnovers and can grab some offensive rebounds.
Despite its lofty poll ranking, not everybody believes in Iowa State. But those who do have been rewarded with the Cyclones going 18-8-1 against the spread. Iowa State is 13-3 ATS at home and 13-6 as a favorite. The Cyclones are 9-4-1 against the number in conference play. For the season, Iowa State is 15-12 in totals, but 6-8 in Big 12 action.
What to Expect
From a pace standpoint, neither team is in a big hurry to get the ball up and down the court. Both teams are using more than 18 seconds per possession, which is higher than the NCAA team average of 17.5 seconds. The Sooners shoot a few more 3-pointers per game than the average team. The Cyclones shoot a few less.
This is a bigger game for Oklahoma, which sits No. 39 in the NET rankings college basketball. But with Houston up next next and a road game at Texas to close out the season, the Sooners could drop a few spots.
Who to Bet On?
The Oklahoma vs Iowa State odds are a bit inflated for this game. But they have to be. Oklahoma is in a bad spot, and the Cyclones are in a big revenge spot. With UCF on deck, there’s no reason why the Cyclones won’t be entirely focused on this game. Five of Oklahoma’s eight losses have been by double-digits.
The Oklahoma vs Iowa State odds might be a shade lower than expected. When the teams met in Oklahoma last month, the over/under was 140. But both teams have seen more unders in conference games, so it does make sense.
This game features two better defensive teams than on offense, and the under is probably the side to be on here.
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