Iowa State at Villanova - 11/24/22 College Basketball Picks and Prediction

Villanova Wildcats (2-2) vs Iowa State Cyclones (3-0)

Game Info: Thursday, November 24, 2022 at 3:30 pm (Moda Center at the Rose Quarter)

Betting Odds: Villanova Wildcats -2.5 -- Over/Under: 130 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: ESPN2 Stream College Basketball all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! Advertisement

The Iowa State Cyclones and the Villanova Wildcats will face off in Round 1 of the Phil Knight Invitational this from the Moda Center in Portland on ESPN2. 

Iowa State improved to 3-0 after defeating Milwaukee Sunday evening. The Cyclones built an 11-point halftime lead, and held off the Panthers in the second half to earn a third straight double digit victory. Iowa State is scoring 78.7 points per game, while shooting 45.7% from the floor, and 26.9% from the three-point line.

Iowa State is led early by former St. Bonnie’s pairing of Jaren Holmes and Osun Osunniyi. Both of Mark Schmidt’s former three-year starters have found ground early, with Holmes replacing a stud in Tyrese Hunter. Holmes is leading ISU in scoring at 18.3 ppg after scoring 19 in the win over Milwaukee. Osunniyi has paired up with Aljaz Kunz up front to give the Cyclones some size in the paint. Osunniyi scored 16 in the win over A&T, while Kunz double-doubled 17 points and 10 boards. 

Villanova dropped to 2-2 after a narrow loss to Michigan State. The Wildcats went into East Lansing and gave the Spartans a fight, trailing by ten at halftime, but coming back to cover for the first time this season. Villanova is scoring 69.2 points per game, while shooting 46.8% from the floor, and 33.7% from the three-point line.

With Collin Gillespie graduating, and Justin Moore still on the shelf, Eric Dixon has taken the wheel offensively. The junior forward scored 20 points in their season opener, and he poured in a game-high 24 points in the loss to MSU last time out. Dixon leads the Wildcats in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (5.8). Chase Daniels had big games against Big 5 rivals La Salle and Temple, and he’s averaging 15.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg. Fifth-year senior Brandon Slater (13.0, 5.5 rpg) is also thriving in a bigger role.

Iowa State is 2-1 against the spread this season, with a 3-0 over/under record. Villanova is 1-3 ATS this year, with a 2-2 o/u record.

The growing pains are real for Villanova, and their lack of size beyond Dixon and Slater may hurt them here. Iowa State is going to play from the inside-out, and if foul trouble becomes a factor early on, the middle of Nova’s defense will have a target on it. This will mark Iowa State’s first Power 5 taste of competition, so they may have a few growing pains themselves. I like the under here for this cross-country trip.

Corey’s Pick Under 130.5

Get Premium Picks Start Winning Now »
The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

NBA, MLB, NCAAB, Best Bets for Today Picks & Predictions Thursday 3/28/24 | 7 Picks in 5 Minutes

18+ Has gambling become a problem for you? Call the National Problem Gambling Hotline.
1-800-522-4700 | ncpgambling.org

Credit Guaranteed Packages

Packages with Credit Guarantees automatically give you a credit if the package does not turn a profit—the sum of betting all individual picks. THESE ARE NOT PARLAYS UNLESS OTHERWISE CLEARLY STATED. If a credit guaranteed package does not profit, a credit for its full purchase price is automatically issued after picks are graded and verified.

For example, if you purchase a $39.95 package that doesn’t profit, you’ll get a $39.95 credit towards any future purchase(s) on our site. Credits are usually issued within hours of a game’s conclusion, so please allow a few hours for final verification.

To use your credits, log in to your account and add another package or pass to your cart. Credits will automatically reduce what you owe. Any remaining balance will be settled through our payment system, with any leftover credits available future purchases. Credits do not expire.

Dismiss