Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Thursday, Dec. 11

Iain MacMillan | 1 Hour Ago

Iowa State is favored against Iowa in college basketball action on Thursday. / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off the biggest win of the season, cruising past Purdue by a final score of 81-58. The Cyclones were rewarded by being ranked No. 4 in the latest edition of the AP Poll, and now they'll take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in an all-Iowa showdown.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this fascinating Thursday night matchup.

Iowa vs. Iowa State Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Spread

• Iowa +11.5 (-110)
• Iowa State -11.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Iowa +570
• Iowa State -850

Total

• OVER 144.5 (-110)
• UNDER 144.5 (-110)

Iowa vs. Iowa State How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, December 11
• Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
• Venue: Hilton Coliseum
• How to Watch (TV): FS1
• Iowa Record: 8-1
• Iowa State Record: 9-0

Iowa vs. Iowa State Betting Trends

• Iowa is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games
• The OVER is 5-2 in Iowa's last seven games
• Iowa State is 10-1 straight up in its last 11 road games vs. Iowa
• Iowa State is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
• Iowa State is 18-2 straight up in its last 20 home games
• Iowa State is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games played in December

Iowa vs. Iowa State Key Player to Watch

• Joshua Jefferson, F - Iowa State Cyclones

Joshua Jefferson has gotten off to a hot start this season. He's averaging 17.6 points per game while shooting 56.6% from the field. He's also leading Iowa State in both rebounds (6.7) and assists (5.4) per game.

Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction and Pick

Iowa State has been fantastic this season, and the Cyclones are rightfully set as favorites in this game, but the Hawkeyes have been underrated and are in a good spot to cover this spread. Iowa has similar strengths to Iowa State, including effective field percentage, where the Cyclones rank second and the Hawkeyes rank 12th.

The thing that separates Iowa State from other college basketball teams has been its ability to force turnovers. The Cyclones lead the country in opponent turnover rate at 25.7%, but the Hawkeyes are right behind them at 23.8%, which is good for fourth in the country.

In a strength vs. strength meeting, I'll back the team getting double-digit points.

Pick: Iowa +11.5 (-110) via BetMGM

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