Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Cyclones Get Tested Early)

Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
• Iowa State (19-13) vs. Pittsburgh (23-11)
• Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
• Time: 3:10 PM ET
• Venue: Greensboro Coliseum -- Greensboro, North Carolina
• Coverage: truTV

The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues on Friday with a thrilling Round of 64 matchup between the No. 11 Pittsburgh Panthers and No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones. Pittsburgh s back in the big dance for the first time since 2016, while Iowa State is making its ninth appearance in the last 11 tournaments.

Pittsburgh snuck by Mississippi State by a score of 60-59 during the First Four game on Tuesday and has won 11 of its last 14 games. Meanwhile, Iowa State has now dropped seven of its last 10 games thanks to a 71-58 loss to Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament. Which team will advance with a victory?

Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: IOWAST: (-178) | PITT: (+146)
• Spread: IOWAST: -3.5 (-120) | PITT: +3.5 (-102)
• Total: 130.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Iowa State enters this contest as a small favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 3:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 130.5 points, which is below average compared to Friday's projected totals.

Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Betting Trends

• Iowa State has covered the spread 16 times in 32 games.
• Against the spread as 3.5-point favorites or more, the Cyclones are 6-7.
• There have been 11 Iowa State's games (out of 32) that went over the total this season.
• Pittsburgh has 23 wins in 33 games against the spread this season.
• The Panthers' ATS record as 3.5-point underdogs or more is 10-3.
• Pittsburgh has played 33 games this season, and 21 of them have hit the over.

Iowa State Rank	Iowa State AVG		Pittsburgh AVG	Pittsburgh Rank
267th	68.4	Points Scored	75.6	82nd
22nd	62.8	Points Allowed	70.1	177th
246th	30.7	Rebounds	33.0	99th
70th	9.8	Off. Rebounds	8.6	179th
278th	6.5	3pt Made	9.2	25th
105th	14.1	Assists	14.2	94th
245th	12.5	Turnovers	10.6	50th

Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Prediction & Pick

Pittsburgh's win over Mississippi State was far from perfect. The Panthers were out-rebounded 49-28, but made up for their failures on the boards by shooting 47.4% from three-point range (9-of-19). A defensive stand in the final few seconds helped them earn their first tournament win since 2014.

The Cyclones do not line up as an advantageous matchup for the Panthers. Iowa State ranks 17th in defensive efficiency and is not afraid to play with aggression. That does result in 19.5 opponent free throw attempts per game, but Pittsburgh shot a subpar 60.0% from the charity stripe on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh has lost six of its last seven games against a Big 12 opponent, so fade the Panthers here.

Final Score Prediction: Iowa State: 67 | Pittsburgh: 65

Iowa State vs Pittsburgh Best Bet

Iowa State has shown all season long that it can emerge victorious in close games. The Cyclones have tallied five wins by a five-point margin or less and I see that mark growing to six on Friday. After all, they are only 4-11 against the spread (ATS) in their last 15 games. Expect a back-and-forth battle.

Backing Pittsburgh along the spread is the way to go as a result. The Panthers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games overall and 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games as an underdog. Iowa State is only 1-5 ATS in its last six games as a favorite. The Cylcones will be tested by a a Panthers team aiming for an upset.

Bet: Pittsburgh Panthers +3.5 (-102)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.