Miami Seeking First Win in Regional Semifinals
Considering all the upsets, it is only fitting that four of the 16 teams playing for a spot in the regional finals in the March Madness bracket are double-digit seeds. This game will mark the first time double-digit seeds have met in the regional finals since No. 10 Syracuse edged 11th-seeded Gonzaga in the 2016 Midwest Regional.
Iowa State played 12 teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this season so the Cyclones have been tested, but they have only won five of them. Miami is 3-2 against ranked teams.
Miami (+8000) and Iowa State (+10000) might be worth a flier from those who bet online as they have the 14th and 15th-worst odds to win the national championship.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and March Madness Odds for Iowa State vs Miami. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Defense carries Iowa State into Sweet 16
If not for the remarkable run by No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the East Region, the incredible one-year turnaround by Iowa State would be the talk of the college basketball world.
Iowa State went 2-21 a season ago with the wins coming against Arkansas Pine Bluff and Jackson State. Now, the Cyclones are facing Miami with a chance to play for the Midwest Regional title.
The Cyclones lost all three of their games in March heading into the NCAA Tournament, including a humbling 31-point loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 tourney, so the March Madness predictions for the Cyclones weren’t the loftiest, to say the least.
Iowa State held national player of the year candidate Johnny Davis to 4-of-16 shooting in its upset of Wisconsin. Iowa State won despite shooting 34.5 percent from the field and that probably won’t work in Friday’s Sweet 16 game.
Iowa State is 5-2 against the Las Vegas odds in its last nine games.
Miami Not Lacking for Experience
There was a time when the prevailing notion was that the most experienced team thrives at this time of the year. That has changed a bit during the one-and-done era, but when it comes to experienced rosters, it’s hard to top what Miami will be putting out on the floor.
Leading scorer Kameron McCusty is set to start in his 100th game and play in game No. 147, Charlie Moore has played in 152 games while Sam Waardenburg (116) and Jordan Miller (103) have both topped the 100-game mark. Still, the March Madness odds were not in Miami’s favor going into the NCAA Tournament.
Miami looked like it had been there before with the routine way that the Hurricanes dispatched No. 2 seed and SEC regular-season champion Auburn in the second round.
HOW BOUT THEM CANES!!!!!!!!!!
No. 10 @CanesHoops takes down No. 2 Auburn 79-61 to advance to the Sweet 16!!! pic.twitter.com/d4mk4OlWCm
— Miami Hurricanes (@MiamiHurricanes) March 21, 2022
The Hurricanes rank in the top 10 nationally in the fewest turnovers per game and in the top 20 in steals per game, so ball security is a huge deal on both ends of the floor.
Miami has been outrebounded in both NCAA Tournament games, but Iowa State isn’t exactly setting rebounding records this season.
Miami is 5-1 against the college basketball spreads in its last six games.
Iowa State vs Miami Head-to-Head
Iowa State rolled to a 73-56 win over Miami as a 3½-point underdog when the teams last met in 2016.
Miami fans probably still have nightmares from the last time the Hurricanes met a No. 11 seed in the NCAA tournament, as it was the start of Loyola Chicago’s improbable run to the Final Four in 2018.
Iowa State vs Miami Game Information
- Game: Iowa State (22-12) vs. Miami (25-10)
- Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Day/Time: Friday, 9:59 p.m. ET
- Live stream: TBS.com
- 2022 March Madness bracket
Iowa State vs Miami Betting Lines
Iowa State vs Miami Prediction
The glass slipper will fit on one of these teams. The key will be whether Iowa State can control the tempo. The higher the score, the better chance that Miami has to win because the Hurricanes are one of the top shooting teams in the country.
This has the feeling of a game that could go down to the final possession. Iowa State is 7-3 in games decided by six points or less and Miami is 12-6 in those contests.
Pick: Over 133
Pick: Miami Hurricanes -2½
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