Kentucky vs Iowa State Prediction, Picks & Odds | 22 Mar 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Kentucky vs Iowa State

No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats face No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones in this NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, with tip-off scheduled for 14:45 on Sunday, March 22.

There’s a strong case for backing Iowa State on the spread when they face Kentucky. The line looks really appealing considering you can get -120 when it comes to the favorites at -4.5.

The Kentucky Wildcats (22-13, 7th in SEC) moved into the Second Round with an 89-84 overtime victory against the Santa Clara Broncos.

The Iowa State Cyclones (28-7, 3rd in Big 12) are coming off a 108-74 First Round win over the Tennessee State Tigers.

NCAAB Regular Season	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Iowa State	27-7	2781	2215	566	19-1	8-6	1L
Kentucky	21-13	2746	2510	236	16-6	5-7	1L

View Full Standings

Kentucky vs Iowa State Prediction & Picks

Get fully prepped for Kentucky vs Iowa State with our betting guide, featuring our expert match pick, predicted scoreline and a value-focused bet builder. Read on for the full breakdown.

Game Prediction

Iowa State at -4.5 could be the best bet to have on the spread. Odds of -120 are available and our pick would mean a solid win for the favorites in this college showdown.

We closely track recent form and look for patterns that may impact the outcome. The same goes for injuries to key players. When combined with the most relevant college hoops stats, this gives us a strong foundation for accurate basketball picks.

Key Kentucky vs Iowa State stats:

• The -4.5 line has been covered by Iowa State in 4 of their last 5 games.
• The -4.5 line has been covered by Iowa State in 11 of their last 20 games.

Iowa State -4.5 Probability

The top sportsbooks make it a 54.6% chance that our pick is settled as a winner. After careful examination, our analysts have this probability close to 60%. This is why we regard this as a value wager.

There’s often the option to sell points and that allows you to leverage a bigger potential return. Conversely, buying points will give you a less-risky bet but smaller odds.

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Our Game Prediction

Iowa State -4.5 @ -120 Bet Now

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Disclosure: This preview contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. T&Cs apply. We only recommend licensed and regulated operators. See our Editorial Policy. Pick odds and lines reflect the price available at the time of publication (Mar 21, 19:02). Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Correct Score Prediction

Kentucky 71 - 80 Iowa State

A 80-71 win for the Cyclones is clearly a risky bet although this could be an exciting correct score option where there’s the chance to enjoy a huge potential return.

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Kentucky vs Iowa State Odds

The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.

Iowa State have the shortest price to win this college game, with the sportsbooks giving them a 68% probability due to their -213 Moneyline betting odds. If you’re looking for an alternative angle, Kentucky are trading at +176.

The spread is 4.5 and the total points line is currently 146.5. There is no denying the popularity of betting on the Totals. If you’re going for Over 146.5, then the odds are -105.

You can find a nice selection of game lines and team props for most college basketball matchups, with the top betting apps creating many different options. Check out the pre-game and in-game selections before placing your bets.

Moneyline

Kentucky

+176

Iowa State

-213

Point Spread

Kentucky +4.5

-102

Iowa State -4.5

-120

Total Points

Under 146.5

-115

Over 146.5

-105

Prop bets don’t involve betting on a team to win and instead might look at a player’s individual performance. For example, the number of Points they might score or the number of Assists they might have.

Micro betting is something that’s really popular with bettors, with college basketball fans essentially being able to wager in-game when it comes to score, player and team props. Check out the two-way lines where you can bet whether the next shot will be a Two-pointer or a Three-pointer.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Kentucky Stats

Iowa State Stats

Moneyline

• 5 wins and 5 defeats in the last 10 games

Moneyline

• 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 games

Point Spread

• +4.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 6 of the last 10 games

Point Spread

• -4.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 158.40 pts in the previous 10 games
• Over 146.5: Covered in 8 of the previous 10 games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 79.40 pts and allowed 79.00 pts in the last 10 games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 146.00 pts in the previous 10 games
• Over 146.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 78.40 pts and allowed 67.60 pts in the last 10 games

NCAAB Regular Season Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Big 12	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Arizona	32-2	2929	2339	590	21-1	11-1	9W
Houston	28-6	2623	2137	486	20-2	8-4	1L
Iowa State	27-7	2781	2215	566	19-1	8-6	1L
Kansas	23-10	2496	2290	206	17-2	6-8	1L
Texas Tech	22-10	2573	2324	249	16-4	6-6	3L
BYU	23-11	2853	2561	292	17-4	6-7	1L
TCU	22-11	2584	2378	206	16-5	6-6	1L
UCF	21-11	2591	2511	80	15-5	6-6	1L
Oklahoma State	19-14	2781	2736	45	14-5	5-9	1L
West Virginia	18-14	2214	2072	142	15-6	3-8	1L
Cincinnati	18-15	2413	2230	183	16-4	2-11	1L
Colorado	17-15	2559	2542	17	15-7	2-8	2L
Arizona State	17-16	2519	2585	-66	13-6	4-10	1L
Baylor	16-16	2642	2469	173	12-8	4-8	1L
Kansas State	12-20	2546	2619	-73	11-8	1-12	2L
Utah	10-22	2379	2531	-152	9-9	1-13	6L

Southeastern	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Florida	26-7	2864	2376	488	18-3	8-4	1L
Arkansas	26-8	3058	2723	335	20-3	6-5	5W
Vanderbilt	26-8	2936	2557	379	15-3	11-5	1L
Alabama	23-9	2935	2671	264	15-6	8-3	1L
Georgia	22-10	2874	2533	341	15-6	7-4	1L
Tennessee	22-11	2622	2289	333	16-5	6-6	1L
Texas A&M	21-11	2807	2546	261	14-5	7-6	1L
Missouri	20-12	2549	2411	138	15-4	5-8	3L
Kentucky	21-13	2746	2510	236	16-6	5-7	1L
Texas	18-14	2681	2458	223	13-7	5-7	3L
Oklahoma	19-15	2813	2621	192	13-5	6-10	1L
Auburn	17-16	2730	2620	110	14-6	3-10	1L
LSU	15-17	2606	2512	94	10-9	5-8	4L
Ole Miss	15-20	2656	2664	-8	9-9	6-11	1L
Mississippi State	13-19	2484	2618	-134	9-10	4-9	6L
South Carolina	13-19	2398	2447	-49	11-8	2-11	1L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

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