The Iowa State Cyclones and Lipscomb Bisons are set to clash in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21st.
Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. central on TNT. Iowa State (24-9) is listed as a No. 3 seed, while Lipscomb (25-9) is listed at No. 14.
Friday’s game between Iowa State and Lipscomb kicks off the first game of the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where the winner will continue to play again on Sunday, March 23rd, against either No. 6 Ole Miss or No. 11 San Diego State/North Carolina.
Here is a preview of the game.
How to Watch Iowa State vs. Lipscomb
Date: Friday, Mar. 21, 2025
Time: 12:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: TNT
Site: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Iowa State vs. Lipscomb Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Iowa State -13.5
Current Line: Iowa State -13.5
Over/Under: 143.5 (opened at 142.5)
Iowa State vs. Lipscomb Predictions
The Cyclones are coming off an incredibly successful regular season, which the group capped off at No. 15 in the AP Top 25. The group found some big production from Curtis Jones, Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Keshon Gilbert, Milan Momcilovic, and many more. The issue, however, arrives when discussing Keshon Gilbert’s health. After earning the 3-seed in the South Regional, head coach T.J. Otzelberger announced that the St. Louis native would be out for the NCAA Tournament due to a lingering injury.
On the opposite end of the court, Lipscomb is a team that thrives on both ends of the court. They finished the year with an explosive offense graded as the ASUN’s second-best unit and a lockdown defense that led the league in opponents points allowed at 67.3. While Lipscomb has multiple different athletes that pose a threat to Iowa State (five different players average double figures), senior forward Jacob Ognacevic is going to be a big one to watch. He leads the league in scoring, averaging 20.1 points per game while also posting 8.1 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the ASUN.
Despite Iowa State being the overwhelming favorite, I anticipate them stumbling out of the gates a bit before separating from Lipscomb in the second half. The Clones win, but will not cover the 13.5-point spread.
Iowa State 81, Lipscomb 70
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Iowa State 92.4% Chance of Winning
