Take The Home Team And Points In This College Hoops Matchup

Auburn vs. Iowa State, 9:00 ET

After a busy weekend of football, it is nice to get a chance of pace on this Thanksgiving week Monday. My kid is off of school, which is something I can't remember happening when I was a kid. Regardless of her day off, I don't take days off when it comes to sports betting (even though it probably would make sense to take a break when I'm running bad). We did win our last college hoops play and I'm ready for another here as Auburn takes on Iowa State.

Auburn comes into this game having won all four to start the season, and they are currently ranked fourth in the nation. It is early, but they've at least played one good team to start their season, having Houston in the second game of the year. This isn't last season, but Houston was a top team most of last year and still has good players. They put forth an admirable effort against Auburn, but home court does make a big difference, especially in college, and the Tigers were able to close out the game 74-69. The other three games they've played were against significantly easier competition. They took down Vermont in their season opener by an easy 51 points. Their third game was against Kent and they coasted to a 23-point victory. Their most recent game was against Northern Alabama and they set the nets on fire, winning by 33. Their offense is good, and their defense is pretty solid as well, but the big question is how well the team will travel.

Iowa State, the Cyclones, are playing host tonight and also have a perfect record. They are 3-0 this season, but like many teams to this point in the year, they haven't played anyone of substance. Their first game was against Mississippi Valley State and they almost doubled them up, winning 83-44. Against Kansas City, they scored 82 points on their way to a 26-point win. Their most recent game was against Indianapolis University Indianapolis, not to be confused with the Hoosiers. This one saw Iowa State once again score in the 80s and hold their opponent to just 52 points. This isn't a knock on Iowa State as you can only play who you are assigned, but this also hasn't been a test for them to start the year. 

If this game was on a neutral court, Auburn being favored would make a bit of sense to me. I know they played Houston, so they're the more "tested" team coming into this game. However, I think these teams match up against each other pretty well. I am surprised that Iowa State is catching some points in this one and I will happily take it. I do hope the Cyclones find a way to shoot better from deep than they have this season so far, but I will take the 4.5 and think Iowa State could win this game outright. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024