Iowa State vs Iowa Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will Murray, Hawkeyes handle Cyclones in rivalry showdown?

After a double-digit win for Caitlin Clark and the women’s basketball team last night, Iowa’s men’s basketball team will look to secure the hardwood sweep over Iowa State tonight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

While both Iowa State and Iowa are ranked in the top 20 in both major polls in women’s basketball, only the Cyclones are ranked right now in both major polls in men’s hoops. They head into tonight’s matchup in Iowa City ranked 20th in both polls, while the Hawkeyes are ranked 24th in the Coaches Poll and 26th in the AP Poll.

The Hawkeyes lost to Duke in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, but with the Cyclones visiting tonight and a home matchup with Wisconsin, who just beat #13 Maryland on Tuesday, ahead on Sunday, this could still be a very fruitful week for Iowa.

Will they defeat their in-state rival for the fourth time in the last five meetings? Read on for our Iowa State vs Iowa prediction, as well as our top betting picks for the matchup.

Iowa State Cyclones vs Iowa Hawkeyes Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: #20 Iowa State Cyclones (7-1) vs Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)
• Venue & Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
• Date: Thursday, December 8, 2022
• Game Time: 8:00 pm ET (7:00 pm local time)
• How to Watch Iowa State vs Iowa: FS1

Iowa State vs Iowa Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 1:45 pm ET. Odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Spread

• Iowa State +3.5 (-104)
• Iowa -3.5 (-118)

Over/Under

• Over 137.5 (-114)
• Under 137.5 (-106)

Moneyline

• Iowa State +150
• Iowa -182

Will Murray Bounce Back After Bad Night in the Big Apple?

Last season, Keegan Murray was arguably the biggest breakout star in college basketball, averaging 23.5 PPG and becoming a consensus first-team All-American after averaging 7.2 PPG as a freshman.

Keegan is now in the midst of a solid rookie season with the Sacramento Kings after being selected fourth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, but his brother Kris has taken over the spotlight in much the same way that Keegan did.

Last season, Kris Murray averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG, but his numbers have jumped to 19.4 PPG and 10.1 RPG through eight games this season.

However, he is coming off of his lowest-scoring game of the season, as he scored only nine points in 36 minutes in Tuesday’s 74-62 loss to Duke. Murray was just 3 of 9 from the field, missed all three of his three-point attempts, and was just 2 of 4 from the free-throw line.

It was his third subpar performance in four games, with a 31-point showing against Georgia Tech the outlier in the bunch.

Should there be some concern that he won’t be able to keep up his production when the Hawkeyes begin Big Ten play? That is something to watch for in tonight’s matchup, especially with how tough the Cyclones are defensively.

If Murray does struggle again, the supporting cast needs to do more than it did against the Blue Devils. As a team, the Hawkeyes shot only 39.7 percent (25 of 63) from the field and made just three of their 18 three-point attempts.

Iowa State vs Iowa Prediction and Picks

Iowa State vs Iowa Prediction: Iowa to win

Iowa State vs Iowa Picks: Iowa to cover (Best Value: -3.5 @ -115 at BetMGM) & Iowa team total over (Best Value: over 70.5 @ -120 at BetOnline)

Home court advantage has been pretty valuable in this rivalry, and I expect that to be the case tonight. The Hawkeyes have won the last three meetings in Iowa City, and the home team has won nine of the last 11 meetings overall.

Most matchups haven’t been particularly close either, as only four of the last 20 meetings have been decided by four or fewer points. In recent years, five of the last six matchups have been decided by double digits.

So, even after the loss to Duke on Tuesday, I feel good about backing the Hawkeyes to hold serve at home and continue their recent success in this rivalry.

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