Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers NCAAB Betting Prediction

Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Prediction 1/18/2025

The Iowa State Cyclones (15-1) travel to face off against the West Virginia Mountaineers (12-4) on Saturday, January 18th. This game will be played at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown and televised on ESPN+. Iowa State is coming off a win in their previous game, while West Virginia is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Houston. Tip-off is set for 5:00 ET.

Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers

The Cyclones Are Coming Off A Win

Iowa State improved to 15-1 on the season with a 74-57 win over Kansas on Wednesday. The Cyclones, who were -5.5 favorites, covered the spread in the victory.

Leading 40-30 at halftime, Iowa State held Kansas to 27 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The game’s total points of 131 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

The Mountaineers Are Coming Off A Win

West Virginia Mountaineers Recent Game/Games

West Virginia’s season record dropped to 12-4 following a 70-54 road loss to Houston on Wednesday. The Mountaineers entered the game as +16 point underdogs and pushed against the spread. The total points for the game were 124, just under the O/U line of 124.5.

After trailing 40-27 at halftime, West Virginia couldn’t mount a comeback, scoring 27 points in the 2nd half while allowing 30.

Cyclones Offense Breakdown

Iowa State’s offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 40.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.5%, with a strong performance from beyond the arc, hitting 8 of 13 threes for 61.5%.

Inside the arc, the Cyclones struggled, shooting just 34.8% on two-point attempts. Curtis Jones led the way with 25 points, hitting 5 of 6 threes, while Zeke Mayo and Dishon Jackson each added 17 points.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia managed just 54 points in their last game, shooting 44.2% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range, hitting 9 of 22 attempts from deep. Their effective field goal percentage was 55.8%, and they connected on 7 of 11 free throws, good for 63.6%.

J’Wan Roberts led the way with 22 points, shooting 76.9% from the field. L.J. Cryer added 18 points, hitting 5 threes at a 50% clip, while Amani Hansberry contributed 16 points, making 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Cyclones Team Defense

Despite Iowa State’s defensive efforts, they sent their opponent to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 18 shots for 72%. The Cyclones also allowed 13 offensive rebounds, giving their opponent extra scoring opportunities.

Mountaineers Team Defense

Even with Iowa State’s defense holding their opponents to 57 points, they couldn’t stop them from shooting 61% from beyond the arc, as they hit 8 of 13 three-point attempts. Overall, the Cyclones allowed 24 field goals on 59 attempts, giving up a 40% shooting percentage.

Inside the arc, Iowa State’s defense limited their opponents to 34% shooting, with just 16 made two-point shots on 46 attempts. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 18, shooting 72% from the stripe. Iowa State also gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Cyclones vs Mountaineers Trends

  • Across their last five road contests, Iowa State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 84 points per game.
  • The Mountaineers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
  • The Mountaineers have played well in their last five games as the betting underdog, going 3-2 straight up and 3-1-1 against the spread.
  • As the betting favorite, the Cyclones have an ATS mark of just 8-2 in their last ten games. Iowa State posted a straight up mark of 10-0 in these matchups.

Cyclones vs Mountaineers Prediction

The Mountaineers come in as the underdog at +6.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 136.5 and our model has the Cyclones and Mountaineers finishing with a combined 145 points. Our pick is to take the over.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.