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Many were anticipating a Sweet 16 matchup of Auburn and Wisconsin at the United Center on Friday night. However, the Miami Hurricanes and the Iowa State Cyclones had other thoughts.
After Miami defeated Auburn and Iowa State beat Wisconsin, the 10th-seed Hurricanes will face the 11th-seeded Cyclones on Friday night in Chicago to see who will be in the Elite Eight in the Midwest Region. Check out March Madness Odds, analysis, and a free prediction for Iowa State Cyclones versus Miami Hurricanes.
March Madness Sweet 16 Round Betting Analysis: #11 Iowa vs #10 Miami Preview
Iowa State Cyclones Analysis
First-year head coach TJ Otzelberger has done an amazing job with the Cyclones. Coming off of a two-win season, Otzelberger had the Cyclones in the top 10 early in the season. After struggling in conference play and barely making the field of 68, the Cyclones have gone on a run in the NCAA Tournament.
After their 54-49 win over Wisconsin, the Cyclones improved to 22-12 on the season. Izaiah Brockington leads the Cyclones in scoring, averaging just under 18 points per game. Freshman point guard Tyrese Hunter is second in scoring and leads the team in assists.
Iowa State can play various types of defenses, and they have been a force on the defensive end. They’re giving up just under 63 points per game, as Otzelberger has made this team a defensive force. Miami doesn’t shoot the three-ball well, and that will play right into the hands of the Cyclones.
Miami Hurricanes Analysis
Jim Larranaga’s Miami Hurricane squad has had its ups and downs this season. Even though they beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and beat North Carolina, they struggled during ACC play.
Getting into the tournament as a ten seed, many weren’t expecting much out of the Hurricanes. After holding on to defeat USC in the first round, Miami took it to the #2 seed in the Midwest, the Auburn Tigers.
Bruce Pearl’s Tigers could never figure out how to slow Miami down, and the Hurricanes moved on to the Sweet 16.
Miami’s defense sparked them against Auburn, and they’ll need to play good defense against Iowa State as well. Miami doesn’t shoot the three-pointer well, so they’ll need to rely on their half-court offense to get them good shots inside the arc. This will be a difficult task against a good Iowa State defense.
Miami has experience on its side, as the Hurricanes boast the oldest remaining roster in the tournament. With numerous 6th-year seniors and graduate transfers, Larranaga has constructed a roster with the average age of an NBA G League team.
Prediction
The oddsmakers have spoken, and they have made the Miami Hurricanes a 2.5-point favorite. Miami is a -146 on the moneyline, while Iowa State is a +122 as the underdog.
In looking at the betting numbers, the Hurricanes have covered the spread in 20 of its last 35 games. Iowa State is 19-14 against the spread this season.
We like the Hurricanes to beat the Cyclones and cover the spread in this one. Miami is playing exceptionally well, they have experience, and Larranaga has been in this situation before. Miami wins by five points and moves on to the Elite Eight.