Iowa State vs. Pittsburgh prediction, odds: 2023 NCAA Tournament picks, March Madness best bets by top model

Teams that struggled down the stretch meet when the 11th-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers battle the sixth-seeded Iowa State Cyclones in a 2023 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round matchup on Friday. The Panthers (23-11, 14-6 ACC), who defeated Mississippi State 60-59 in Tuesday’s First Four game, lost three of their last four games to end the regular season and conference tournament. The Cyclones (19-13, 9-9 Big 12), who are making their second consecutive tournament appearance, lost eight of their past 12 games. Pittsburgh is making its 27th NCAA Tournament appearance, while Iowa State is making its 22nd.

Tipoff from Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C., is set for 3:10 p.m. ET. Pitt leads the all-time series 1-0. The Cyclones are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 131.5. Before locking in any Iowa State vs. Pittsburgh picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Iowa State vs. Pitt and just locked in its picks and NCAA Tournament 2023 predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Pitt vs. Iowa State:

• Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State spread: Iowa State -4.5
• Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State over/under: 131.5 points
• Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State money line: Pittsburgh +162, Iowa State -195
• PITT: The Panthers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five Friday games
• ISU: The Cyclones are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games
• Pittsburgh vs. Iowa State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Iowa State can cover

The Cyclones are powered by senior guard Jaren Holmes, who has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last four games. In last Friday’s Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinal loss to Kansas, Holmes scored 16 points, and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals. A day earlier in a quarterfinal win over Baylor, he scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. In 32 starts, he is averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 32 minutes.

Senior guard Gabe Kalscheur has scored 20 or more points in two of the last four Iowa State games. He scored 24 points in the quarterfinal win over Baylor, and had a season-high 26 in a loss to West Virginia on Feb. 27. He has reached double-figure scoring in 20 games, including six games with 20 or more. In 32 games, including 22 starts, he is averaging 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.5 minutes.

Why Pittsburgh can cover

Junior forward Blake Hinson is one of four Panthers averaging double-digit scoring. He is averaging 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Hinson is also connecting on 43% of his field goals, including 38.7% from 3-point range. The transfer from Ole Miss, has also recorded five double-doubles, including a 25-point and 13-rebound performance at Syracuse on Dec. 20.

Senior guard Jamarius Burton has started 32 games and is averaging 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and nearly one steal per game. He has registered three double-doubles, including a 14-point and 10-rebound effort in a 99-82 win over Syracuse on Feb. 25. He also scored 19 points and grabbed 10 boards in a 71-68 victory over Miami on Jan. 28. He has reached double-figure scoring in 28 games, including four with 20 or more and one with 30 or more.

How to make Pitt vs. Iowa State picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 139 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can get the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Iowa State vs. Pitt? And which side hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.