2022 NCAA Tournament First Round: No. 6 Louisiana State Tigers vs. No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones
How to Watch:
- Date: Friday, March 18
- Time: 7:20 p.m. ET
- Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
- TV: TBS
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 6 LSU | STAT | No. 11 ISU |
| SEC | Conference | Big 12 |
| 22-11 | Record | 20-12 |
| 73.1 (132nd) | Points Per Game | 66.5 (T-328th) |
| 63.5 | Points Allowed Per Game | 63.0 |
| 0.5957 (30th) | RPI | 0.5566 (71st) |
| 29th | Strength of Schedule | 17th |
| At-Large Bid | Bid | At-Large Bid |
Caeser’s is offering insurance on your first bet. Place a first-time wager of up to $1,100 and get it back in the form of a Free Bet if you lose. Click here for more info.
LSU leaders:
- Tari Eason, F, SO: 16.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 52.0% FG
- Darius Days, F, SR: 13.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 SPG, 35.1% 3PT
Iowa State leaders:
- Izaiah Brockington, F, SR: 17.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 37.6% 3PT
- Tyrese Hunter, G, FR: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.9 SPG
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- LSU Moneyline: -190
- ISU Moneyline: +160
- Spread: LSU -4
- Over/Under: 128.5
- ATS Record: LSU 19-14, ISU 17-15
- Over/Under Record: LSU 14-19, ISU 15-17
Odds courtesy of Draftkings. For the latest odds, click here.
The Pick:
- We covered the Cyclones as one of our first round upset best bets and even if the twleve losses turn you off of the Cyclones, remember that they played the 12th-most difficult schedule by KenPom rankings, so even though their record isn’t flashy, they racked up nine wings against quadrant one schools and were ranked as high as 8th in the nation during the season.
- They rank just 232nd in adjusted tempo and have a stout defense, finishing 10th in KenPom’s efficiency metrics. They rank 20th in the country in 3-point defense and do a decent job on the glass, ranking 103rd in offensive rebounds allowed. They’re going up against a Tigers team that also prides itself on defense and gets most of its scoring done in the paint, ranking 242nd in three-point attempts per game while only shooting 31.9% from deep. Most of which favors the under in this contest.
- Where the Tigers are most dangerous is in the turnover game. They force the most steals per game of any team in the country, but the Cycl0nes have done a good job with limiting turnovers all season, ranking 16th in the country.
- We also need to mention that LSU fired its head coach less than a week ago after accusations of NCAA violations. Perhaps the team will respond to the adversity, but it certainly adds another challenge to their tournament run.
