Big dog Kentucky will try to brush off the next pesky foe on its way to the Final Four when it plays Iowa State Saturday in a third-round South bracket game in Louisville.
The Wildcats, as the top overall seed in the tournament, took care of Western Kentucky Thursday 81-66, while the Cyclones, playing in the tournament for the first time since '05, knocked off defending national champion Connecticut 77-64.
ISU continues to be a terrific bet as they are now 13-2 ATS in their past 15 games overall.
This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at KFC Yum! Center.
Watch for the Wildcats to open as significant chalk at Sportsbook today (they currently sit at +11 at Sportsbook.)
This season, the Wildcats are 33-2 overall and 13-21 ATS ATS, while the Cyclones are 23-10 and 20-9 ATS against the number. As for the totals, Kentucky boasts a 13-18-2 on the OU, and Iowa State is 14-15.
View Iowa State vs Kentucky Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Wildcats sit at No. 2 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Cyclones sit at No. 35 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Wildcats will win this game 87-76.
How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Cyclones is ranked No. 55 in NCAA hoops at 36.8 per game. Contrast that with Kentucky’s No. 16 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Kentucky is the No. 217-ranked team in the country at 5.7 per game, while Iowa State rates No. 10 at 8.8 per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Iowa State owns the country's No. 115-rated mark, allowing 68 points per game on the highway. Kentucky, on the other hand, rates No. 35 in scoring at home.
Iowa State won its last outing, a 77-64 result against Connecticut on March 15. They covered in that game as a 1.5-point underdog. Iowa State got 20 points from Chris Allen en route to a 77-64 victory over Connecticut on Thursday at KFC Yum! Center.
Kentucky won its last outing, an 81-66 result against Western Kentucky on March 15. They failed to cover in that game as a 26.5-point favorite. Western Kentucky was victimized for 22 points and 10 rebounds by Terrence Jones as the Wildcats bested the Hilltoppers 81-66 in college basketball action on Thursday.
