The No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones greet No. 15 Tennessee State in the opening round of March Madness on Friday in St. Louis at 1:50 p.m. CT on CBS. The Cyclones (27-7) enter the field as one of the Big 12’s top contenders following a narrow 82-80 loss to No. 1 Arizona in the Big 12 semifinal last week. The Tigers (23-9) led the Ohio Valley with 80.5 points per game and are looking to shock a Power Four foe in the first round. Here is our prediction, preview, odds, and key storylines to get you ready for tipoff on Friday.
Iowa State vs. Tennessee State Game Odds
The Cyclones enter the contest as a 23-point favorite (over/under set at 149.5 points) and unsurprisingly so. T.J. Otzelberger and Iowa State are faster, stronger, and deeper across the board. As we approach tip off on Friday, Iowa State is now a 24.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 148.0 points.
Key Storyline: Can Iowa State Live Up to Its Billing?
Stars Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson are two answers as to why Iowa State is such a heavy favorite. This pair pours out 16 or more points every night; Momcilovic is especially effective beyond the curve, where he’s 49.4% and hitting at least 3.7 of those attempts per game. Getting a first-round pounding from these two is pretty important for the Cyclones, which could easily meet No. 7 Kentucky in the second round.
Match Up to Watch: Winning the Backcourt
Aaron Nkrumah (17.5 ppg) is leading a high-powered TSU offense into the fight and will be on the front lines of Friday’s throwdown with the Cyclones. His duties up top will be especially crucial, considering Iowa State will likely win almost every battle in the paint. Nkrumah and All-OVC guards Travis Harper and Dante Harris gotta could easily throw off Iowa State should they come in exploding.
Prediction: Iowa State 81, Tennessee State 60
Iowa State has too much in its corner for TSU to juggle through two halves, and the hard truth of the matter is the OVC rarely secured wins against any top-tier opponents and often ranked outside the top 100 nationally in multiple metrics. It’s a high-scoring Tigers team, no doubt, but firepower alone won’t beat the Clones. Consider your brackets safe in this particular matchup.
