Getty The Iowa State Cyclones, who meet with the Ohio State Buckeyes in a first round of the March Madness tournament in a betting matchup.
Ohio State and Iowa State last met up in the second round of the 2013 March Madness NCAA Tournament. With Ohio State pulling off a nail-biter win in that affair, the two programs have gone on to enjoy fairly successful runs. With only two sub 20 win season between the programs since their last meeting, the two teams have been able to maintain a high level of play despite losing big name coaches.
Highlights from tonight’s Big 12 Championship win!! #Cyclones
This time around, Iowa State is the higher ranked team and despite stumbling down the stretch in the regular season, pulled off a stellar run in the Big-12 tournament to come away with an automatic bid. Now, here is the betting line and latest timing for the Ohio State vs Iowa State game.
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Line
(Betting Line and Total courtesy of Oddsshark.com)
- #6 Iowa State Cyclones (23-11) vs. #11 Ohio State Buckeyes (19-14)
- Friday, March 22nd – 9:50 pm ET
- Point Spread: Iowa State Cyclones (-5.5)
- Point Total: 140
Ohio State vs. Iowa State March Madness Bracket Projection & Pick
Ohio State ran into the buzzsaw that is Michigan State in the Big 10 tournament and were actually able to hang close for the majority of the game. Despite a number of conference losses to their name, Ohio State remains a talented team capable of beating big-name opponents. With only a loss to Syracuse to their name and big-time wins over Cincinnati and Minnesota entering conference play, Ohio State’s poor record should more be a testament to the caliber of play in the Big 10 this year. A battle-tested squad, don’t expect Ohio State to roll over easily despite their 11th seed.
Big time win in @TheSchott 💪
#BuckeyeNation THANK YOU for bringing the energy all night long. #Team120 🔋
Meanwhile, Iowa State enduring a bit of a roller-coaster season. After starting the year scorching hot, the Cyclones stumbled at the end of regular season, capped by a three-game losing streak to finish the year. However, they would return to form in the Big 12 tournament and pick up huge wins over Baylor, Kansas State, and Kansas to win the championship. Iowa State is a streaky team, but enters the tournament red-hot and clearly has shown the ability to beat any team in the nation when at their best.
Look for Iowa State to pick up the win, but expect Ohio State to make things close and uncomfortable. With a 5.5 point spread and two teams that match up in a fairly similar manner, I won’t be touching the spread and instead will look to the point total. Despite both teams being plus defensively, Iowa State can put the ball in the basket at an extremely high rate and Ohio State will almost certainly be up to the challenge of keeping pace. Out of the two team’s five combined postseason games, only one (Iowa State vs Kansas State) didn’t cover this point total of 140. While teams come out notoriously slow in March Madness, this game should take off in the second half.
Pick: OVER 140
Other Notable Midwest Region Matchups
#1 North Carolina vs #16 Iona
#2 Kentucky vs #15 Abilene Christian
#3 Houston vs #14 Georgia State
#4 Kansas vs #13 Northeastern
#5 Auburn vs #12 New Mexico State
#7 Wofford vs #10 Seton Hall
#8 Utah State vs #9 Washington