Iowa State Cyclones vs VCU Rams Prediction, 11/23/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa State Cyclones vs VCU Rams

Date: Thursday, November 23, 2023

Location: State Farm Field House in Kissimmee, FL

TV: ESPN

The VCU Rams (3-1) will try to beat the Iowa State Cyclones (4-0) at State Farm Field House on Thursday.

The Iowa State Cyclones took the court against Grambling and took home the win by a score of 92-37 in their last game. Iowa State ended the contest having earned a 62.7% FG percentage (32 of 51) and converted 7 of their 15 3-pointers. From the charity stripe, the Cyclones converted 21 of 27 tries for a percentage of 77.8%. Regarding pulling down boards, they collected 33 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 20 assists in the game while creating 20 turnovers and earning 14 steals. In reference to defense, Iowa State allowed the other team to shoot 28.6% from the floor on 14 of 49 shooting. Grambling distributed 5 dimes and had 7 steals in this game. In addition, Grambling grabbed 16 rebounds (6 offensive, 10 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Grambling ended up going 85.7% when shooting free throws by making 6 of 7 attempts. They buried 3 of their 12 attempts from long range. In the matter of fouls, the Cyclones walked away with 8 while Grambling recorded 21 fouls.

Tamin Lipsey is a guy who was a major contributor for the matchup. He ended up finishing with 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting. He played for 24 minutes and also collected 2 boards. He finished 66.7% from the floor and also distributed 9 assists.

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Iowa State enters this one with a mark of 4-0 for the campaign. They lose possession via turnover 8.8 times per contest and as a unit are committing 16.3 fouls every game. As a unit, Iowa State is pulling down 39.8 rebounds per game and has totaled 76 assists on the season, which is 79th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. The Cyclones are hitting 39.4% on shots from 3-point land (26 of 66) and 73.0% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 91.3 points per game (16th in the country) while hitting 53.6% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Cyclones are able to force 20.8 turnovers per contest while drawing 20.3 fouls. They are 17th in college basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 30 surrendered on the year. The Cyclones defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 31.5% (58 of 184) and they surrender 26.0 boards per game as a unit. They are conceding 29.5% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 2nd in college basketball in points per game allowed (45.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the VCU Rams walked away with a victory by a final of 60-56 against Seattle. The Rams earned 26 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 35 in this contest. They also gave up possession of the ball 12 times, while earning 7 steals for this contest. Seattle committed 21 personal fouls in the matchup which took the Rams to the free throw line for a total of 22 attempts. They were able to make 17 of the free throws for a clip of 77.3%. Regarding shots from 3-point land, VCU made 5 of their 22 tries (22.7%). Overall, the Rams shot 19 for 49 from the field which had them at 38.8%. The Rams allowed Seattle to convert 18 out of their 55 attempts from the field which had them shooting 32.7% in this matchup. They shot 25.0% from distance by hitting 6 out of 24 and ended up shooting 14 out of 19 at the free throw line (73.7%). In reference to cleaning up the glass, VCU permitted Seattle to grab 31 in total (9 on the offensive side).

Zeb Jackson pitched in for the Rams for the contest. He earned 20 points in his 34 minutes of playing time, but finished this game without an assist. He buried 5 out of 11 in the game giving him a rate of 45.5%, and tallied 6 rebounds.

VCU has a record of 3-1 for the year. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams are hitting on 44.3% from the floor, which is ranked 193rd in the nation. VCU has tallied 273 points for the campaign (68.3 per contest) and they average 36.8 rebounds per game. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 13.5 times per game (179th in the country) and they are losing possession via turnover 14.8 times per contest. The Rams commit 16.0 personal fouls every game and they connect on 75.9% from the charity stripe.

The VCU defense gives up 30.6% on 3-point shots (26 of 85) and opponents are converting on 68.1% of their shots from the free throw line. They have relinquished 10.0 dimes and 34.0 boards per contest, which has them ranked 67th and 136th in the country. The Rams are ranked 49th in D-1 in points per game surrendered with 61.8. They have forced 12.3 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 36.8% from the floor (36th in the nation).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Iowa State

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