Iowa State March Madness Odds: First Round NCAA Tournament Bets

March Madness continues on as the Big 12’s Iowa State tries to get their dance off to a good start against First Four winner Pittsburgh. With the Cyclones having the rest advantage, but with Pittsburgh having won as an underdog in the First Four, this matchup has the potential to be a barnburner. Iowa State are spread favorite and on the moneyline to win the game. The game has an over/under of . We’ll dive more into Iowa State March Madness odds and the matchup below.

(6) Iowa State vs. (11) Pittsburgh Odds

The Odds Table is a crucial part of getting the most out of March Madness betting – be it getting an extra half point on a point spread, paying less for a moneyline favorite or getting the most out of a moneyline underdog, or getting the best side of a total. The Odds Tool makes getting the best odds and best prices available clear and easy, and it’s crucial for getting the most out of valuable betting opportunities.

Outside Shots Podcast: Betting March Madness

<iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;background:transparent;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outside-shots-betting-march-madness/id1386888461?i=1000603895344"></iframe>

(6) Iowa State vs. (11) Pittsburgh Player Props

Player Props can be an undervalued market in college basketball – there isn’t the same interest in it, which sometimes leads to softer, easier to exploit markets. Getting the right number is essential, which is why our props tool allows you to easily compare odds and prices across books, to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

Betting on college basketball player props is only available in CT, DC, IA, IL, IN LA, MD, NJ, OH, WA, WV, and WY; however, CT IA, IL, and NJ do not allow you to bet player props for players on in-state teams.

Iowa State March Madness Futures

Reasons Iowa State Can Cover

Iowa State is a proper 6 seed in this tournament – 24^th by KenPom, they’re playing a team that’s 71^st in those same metrics, a tangible gap in quality. They’re coming off two straight wins over Baylor before losing to Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. Their 7 days of rest might be an advantage against a Pittsburgh team that went to the buzzer in the First Four.

If Iowa State is going to win it’s going to be because of defense – they’re 9^th in the nation per KenPom, while just barely inside the top 100 on offense. If they can combine solid defense and their 327^th overall pace, this game will be glacially slow, a situation Iowa State is perfectly happy with.

The fact that Pitt could only hit 60 points in the First Four matchup while shooting 9/19 (47.4%) doesn’t inspire confidence that Pitt will be able to break down the fearsome Iowa State defense.

Reasons Pittsburgh Can Cover

Pittsburgh is going to need some shooting variance to go their way in this game, which is possible. Against that 9^th ranked defense, Pitt’s 24^th ranked offense is going to need to be better than they were against Mississippi State if they want to win.

They can’t expect to get that lucky from the outside again, but they did shoot 34% on 2s, so there is some reason to believe variance may also help them in this game. The glacial pace of both teams will help Pitt as an underdog, as reducing the number of possessions increases the likelihood of random and atypical outcomes.

If they can get hot from the outside, and play the tight, suffocating defense they did against Mississippi State, they’re in with a real shot to not just cover, but win outright.

Final Thoughts

It’s cliché to say basketball is a make or miss sport, but this matchup more than most looks to be coming down to outside shooting. With two teams outside the Top 150 in tempo, this game will come down to whether Iowa State’s pedestrian offense can score enough, and whether Pitt will be able to break down Iowa State’s elite defense. It’s not only about who can make shots, but Pitt will need to replicate their deep shooting from the First Four to stick around in this one.