NCAA Tournament: Iowa State vs. Tennessee State Prediction, Odds, And How To Watch

With a six-game winning streak, Tennessee State is going into the NCAA Tournament with confidence as it takes on Iowa State. 

The Tigers are 23-9 overall and went 15-5 during Ohio Valley Conference play in the regular season. With Nolan Smith as their head coach, they went ahead and won the OVC Championship, beating Morehead State 93-67 in the league title game. 

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But can they keep that winning streak alive in March Madness against one of the top teams in the country?

Tennessee State, a No. 15 seed, will face No. 2-seeded Iowa State in the first round.

The Cyclones started the season by winning their first 16 games. But they have faltered as of late, losing four of their last eight. That included a Big 12 semifinal matchup, 82-80 against Arizona.

Iowa State vs. Tennessee State Odds

Tennessee State is a +24.5 college basketball betting odds underdog against Iowa State, with the Over/Under being 149.5 points as of this writing. 

The moneyline for Iowa State is -10000, while it’s +2500 for Tennessee State.

Iowa State vs. Tennessee State On TV

The matchup between Iowa State and the Tigers will be televised on CBS. The game will tip off at 2:50 p.m. ET on Friday, March 20. 

The contest is taking place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Iowa State vs. Tennessee State Prediction

I predict Iowa State will win, but the Tigers will cover the 24.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 149.5 total points.

Tennessee State has some great players. That includes Aaron Nkrumah, who leads the Tigers with 17.6 points and 2.8 steals per game. Travis Harper II is averaging 17.3 PPG while shooting 47.6% from the field and 40.1% from 3-point range.

But the Cyclones, even though they haven’t been at their best, have still been solid on the defensive end lately. They’ve allowed an average of 60.5 points in their last four outings.

Milan Momcilovic paces Iowa State with 17.1 points per game while making 51.2% of his shots and 49.6% of his 3-pointers. Joshua Jefferson averages 16.9 PPG and a team-best 7.6 rebounds per contest. Tamin Lipsey leads the Cyclones with five assists and 2.2 steals per game while averaging 13.3 PPG.

I think Iowa State will win convincingly, but I think Tennessee State can keep it to within 24 points.