The sixth-seeded Iowa State Cyclones are looking for yet another deep NCAA Tournament run when they face the 11th-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers in Midwest Region first-round action on Friday. The Cyclones (19-13, 9-9 Big 12), who have a 14-7 all-time record in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, reached the Sweet 16 last season before falling to Miami. The Panthers (23-11, 14-6 ACC), who beat Mississippi State 60-59 in Tuesday's First Four matchup, have advanced to the second round in seven of the past nine trips to the tournament. Pittsburgh last played in the tournament in 2016 when it lost in the first round to Wisconsin 47-43.
The game at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, will tip off at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Cyclones are favored by 5 points in the latest Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 131.5. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)
Before making any Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State picks, or NCAA Tournament selections, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed the model has seen HUGE returns!
The model knows the Cyclones are powered by senior guard Jaren Holmes, who has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last four games. In last Friday's Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinal loss to Kansas, Holmes scored 16 points, and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals. A day earlier in a quarterfinal win over Baylor, he scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. In 32 starts, he is averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes.
But the model also knows junior forward Blake Hinson is one of four Panthers averaging double-digit scoring. He is averaging 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Hinson is also connecting on 43% of his field goals, including 38.7% from 3-point range. The transfer from Ole Miss has also recorded five double-doubles, including a 25-point and 13-rebound performance at Syracuse on Dec. 20.
Now, the model has set its sights on Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model before locking in any college basketball picks.
Who wins Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State? And which side of the spread covers well over 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State spread you should be all over Friday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!
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