Iowa State at Iowa Lines, Free Pick & TV Info

Bragging rights in the state of Iowa are on the line in a national TV college basketball game on Thursday night as Iowa State of the Big 12 and Iowa of the Big Ten square off in their annual game in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The No. 25 Cyclones are slight road favorites on college basketball odds.

Iowa State at Iowa Lines, Free Pick & TV Info

When: Thursday, Dec. 8, 8 PM ET Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City TV: ESPN2 Opening NCAA Basketball Lines: TBA

Why Bet On Iowa State?

The Cyclones (6-2) ended a two-game losing streak with a 91-47 blowout of Nebraska-Omaha on Monday. Deonte Burton scored 20 points and Donovan Jackson had 15 for the Cyclones, who rolled to their third win of 40 or more points this season. Burton made 8-of- 11 shots from the field, including all three 3-point attempts. The Cyclones buried a season-high 15 3-pointers, tying for the third-best single-game total in school history. The difference Monday from the past two games was the ball movement and the pace of play. The Cyclones assisted on 22 of their 33 baskets. “The biggest thing that I thought was that the ball moved, and I thought we ran,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. “We’ve just got to get better offensively. Too many offensive rebounds over the past two games.” The Cyclones never let Omaha think it had a chance, storming ahead 36-9 after just 12 minutes — with Burton scoring their first 13 points. Iowa State, which fell six spots in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll but remained ranked for the 61st week in a row, held the Mavs to 28 percent shooting. ISU made a season-high 15 three-pointers, its most under Prohm. ISU is 6-0 when leading at halftime this season, and 26-3 under Prohm in such games. ISU has won 12 consecutive games when leading at the half. The 26-point halftime margin was the second-largest of the season. ISU is 5-0 when outrebounding its opponent. ISU has held three opponents under 30 percent field-goal shooting (28.4 tonight). The ranking streak is the third-longest streak nationally, behind Kansas and Arizona. Prohm’s team maintained its top 25 status despite one-possession losses against Gonzaga (73-71) and Cincinnati (55- 54 in overtime) last week.

Why Bet On Iowa?

The Hawkeyes (4-5) just lost to that Nebraska-Omaha team 98-89 on Saturday at home. Iowa battled back from an 11-point second-half deficit to cut Omaha’s lead to 87-84 with 1:53 left. But Zach Jackson hit a 3-pointer on Omaha’s next possession and the Hawkeyes never got any closer. It was the Hawkeyes’ fourth straight loss and left them at 3-5, their worst start since 2009. But Iowa did rebound with a 95-68 home blowout win over Stetson on Monday. Freshman Cordell Pemsl had 21 points. Pemsl, a powerful 6-foot- 8, 249-pound forward, has averaged 19 points since making the starting lineup three games ago with outputs of 18, 18 and now 21 points. Most impressive of all, Pemsl has made 23 of 27 shots as a member of the starting lineup with a series of strong moves around the basket. “(This win) was much needed, we haven’t won in a while,” said Pemsl, who is one of seven Division I players in the last 20 years to shoot 77 percent or better through nine career games. Three different Iowa freshmen have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Freshman guard Isaiah Moss connected on 8 of 13 shots and hit 5 of 8 3-pointers for 21 points vs. Stetson.. Moss also pulled down a career-high six rebounds. Senior guard Peter Jok finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Freshman guard Jordan Bohannon struggled shooting the ball, hitting just 1 of 9 shots. But he did add five assists in 26 minutes. Iowa outscored Stetson 50-20 in the paint and put up 23 second-chance points. The Hawkeyes shot 49.3 percent from the floor and held the Hatters (4-6) to 34.7 percent for the game. Iowa lost at No. 4 Iowa State 83-82 last year in a thriller. Monte Morris hit a runner with nine seconds left, and Iowa State rallied from a 20-point deficit.

Iowa State at Iowa Free Pick: Iowa State

Take ISU on NCAAB odds.