Texas basketball vs. Iowa State: Prediction and odds college basketball
With just four games remaining on the regular season schedule, interim head coach Rodney Terry and No. 8 Texas basketball have officially hit the stretch run. Texas is looking to stay atop the Big 12 standings by taking care of business at home against head coach TJ Otzelberger and the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones on Feb. 21.
Terry and the Longhorns come into this battle against Iowa State sporting a record of 21-6 (10-4 Big 12) following a tight 85-83 overtime win at home at the Moody Center in Austin over the Oklahoma Sooners on Feb. 18. Texas has won two of its last three and four of its last six games.
Meanwhile, Iowa State comes into this one with a record of 17-9 (8-6 Big 12) after a 61-55 loss on the road in Manhattan on Feb. 18 at the hands of the No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats. Iowa State is sliding of late, having lost three of its last four games.
Here’s a look at the betting odds and game prediction as Texas gets set to host Iowa State at home at the Moody Center in Austin on Feb. 21, with the tip-off time set for 8 p.m. CT. This game will also be televised on Longhorn Network.
Texas basketball vs. Iowa State: Betting odds for Feb. 21
Texas is a 6.5-point favorite against Iowa State and the over/under is set at 136.5 (per FanDuel).
The moneyline favors Texas (-295) over Iowa State (+235).
According to Kenpom, Texas has a 68 percent chance of beating Iowa State. And Kenpom projects Texas to beat Iowa State 71-66 in this game.
Texas vs. Iowa State prediction
Texas will be looking to avenge its loss to Iowa State from earlier this season. Terry and the Longhorns fell short of Iowa State on the road in Ames on Jan. 17, by the final score of 78-67. That game tied for Texas’ largest margin of defeat so far this season.
There will be plenty of motivation for the Longhorns heading into this game. And there are quite a few factors lining up that should favor Texas over Iowa State.
First and foremost, Iowa State has struggled mightily away from home this season. Iowa State holds a record of just 2-7 in true road games this season. And it has lost each of its last half-dozen contests on the road, including five in Big 12 play.
Meanwhile, Texas is an impressive 15-1 at the friendly confines of the Moody Center this season. Texas is also sitting on a seven-game winning streak in Austin against Iowa State, dating back to the mid-2010s.
As long as Texas can establish a solid post presence while staying disciplined on defense, I like its chances in this one. Two stats worth noting heading into this game for the Longhorns involve the abilities to control the post and play disciplined defense.
- Texas is 20-1 this season when registering a total rebounding percentage better than 45.0
- Texas is 0-4 this season when allowing fewer than three field goals per free-throw attempt
Texas didn’t win the paint battles in the last two games, and the results showed on the scoreboard. While Texas did split its last two games, it came against the bottom two teams in the Big 12, Oklahoma and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Both of those contests were very winnable for the Longhorns had this team just set the tone in the paint more effectively.
And if Texas can continue to remain disruptive and stay sound with its off-ball communication and help defense, then Iowa State is going to have a tough time finding high-percentage shots. Given how cold the likes of Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill are in terms of shooting from deep in the last few weeks, contesting the bulk of their shots will be key.
Next. Texas vs. Iowa State: 3 bold predictions. dark
I like for the senior duo of forward Timmy Allen and guard Marcus Carr to combine for at least 30 points in this game en route to a Texas win. If Texas can come out with a win, it probably just needs two more victories in the final three outings of the regular season to secure the Big 12 regular season crown.