Free NCAA Tournament Pick: Cyclones vs. Tigers CBB Odds
Looking for Iowa State Cyclones vs. LSU Tigers NCAA basketball free picks & CBB odds? CBB betting sees the Cyclones taking on the Tigers on Friday, March 18th, 2022 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NCAA Tournament matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NCAA basketball predictions like this Cyclones Tigers matchup.
2022 Men’s NCAA Tournament Handicapping
(20-12) #11 Iowa State Cyclones vs. #6 LSU Tigers (22-11)
Date: Friday, March 18th, 2022
Time: 7:20 PM EST
Venue: Milwaukee, WI.
CBB Moneyline Odds: ISU +160 | LSU -190
CBB Betting ATS Odds: LSU -4 (Bet Now!)
CBB Betting Total: 127.5
The path for both Iowa State and LSU in this year’s NCAA Tournament goes through the Midwest.
Only one will still be on that path after Friday when the two teams meet in Milwaukee.
And if either gets through the weekend, it will be off to Chicago on the road to the Final Four.
Iowa State Cyclones
Before Big-12 Conference play began, Iowa State may have had Final Four aspirations.
The Cyclones closed 2021 undefeated at 12–0 with wins over Memphis, Creighton, Xavier and Iowa.
Then it began conference play and the new year with a close loss to Baylor and a narrow win over Texas Tech before really starting to struggle.
The ‘Clones lost four in a row in February and got stomped in the Big-12 Conference Tournament by Texas Tech but the resume was enough to get an at-large bid.
Now ISU must find a way to re-channel its pre-conference play self in time for its first NCAA opponent out of the SEC.
Often times, a team that struggles in conference play can do just that when it frees itself from the familiar opponents.
This is an excellent defensive team that relies heavily on fifth-year transfer senior Izaiah Brockington, a 6’4″ guard who averages over 17 points per game and more than seven rebounds.
Tyrese Hunter, a top-40 recruit in the class of 2021, has been the steady second scorer all season and started bumping up his assist numbers as his freshman year wore on.
Gabe Kalscheur, a Minnesota transfer, has NCAA Tournament experience, unlike most of his teammates. He shot poorly against Texas Tech in the Big-12 Tournament but will be a key play in this matchup.
LSU Tigers
Like ISU, LSU swept through the non-conference 12-0. It earned wins against Belmont, Wake Forest, Ohio and at Georgia Tech.
And similarly to ISU, LSU’s strength is on defense but in different ways.
The Tigers are extremely athletic and try to use that speed and size to bring pressure and force turnovers. They are at their best when they are converting defense to transition offense.
But when they cannot overwhelm their opponent with athleticism, as was often the case in their up-and-down conference season, the Tigers have flaws.
They are not a good shooting team and struggle in the half court. They may have a difficult time generating offense by walking the ball up against Iowa State.
Then there is the unknown variable of Will Wade, the head coach who led LSU to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including this one.
He was dismissed following the Tigers’ loss to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. With the program mired in scandal, Kevin Nickelberry, the long-time head coach at Howard, takes over.
March Madness Betting Trends:
- Tigers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite.
- Over is 4-0 in Tigers last 4 overall.
- Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
Free Iowa State Cyclones vs. LSU Tigers NCAA Tournament Prediction:
It is not a bad draw for Iowa State, which gets to play in Midwest country and open things up in the hometown of its first-year Head Coach TJ Otzelberger.
The matchup is favorable, too. LSU has the athleticism and size advantage but the Cyclones are better in the finesse game.
If the ‘Clones can take care of the ball, and I believe they can, they should be able to keep the pace slow and grind LSU down in a slower, disciplined sort of game. That will be the blueprint for success.
4* Free CBB March Madness Betting Pick: Iowa State ML
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