The Washington State Cougars take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at a semi-neutral site in Moline, IL. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN.
The Hawkeyes are favored by 4.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. The total is also set at 169.5 points.
Here’s my Washington State vs. Iowa predictions and college basketball picks for November 15, 2024.
Washington State vs Iowa Prediction
My Pick: Over 169.5
My Washington State vs Iowa best bet is on the over, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Washington State vs Iowa Odds
| Washington St Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -112 | 169.5 -108o / -112u | +150 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -108 | 169.5 -108o / -112u | -180 |
- Washington State vs Iowa spread: Iowa -4
- Washington State vs Iowa over/under: 169.5 points
- Washington State vs Iowa moneyline: Iowa -180, Washington State +150
- Washington State vs Iowa best bet: Over 169.5
Spread
The spread is almost exactly where I'd make it unless Iowa's Owen Freeman sits out. I expect him to play.
Moneyline
If forced to back a team on the moneyline, I'd take the underdog — this game should have a ton of variance to it. I'll be sitting it out, though.
Over/Under
Two explosive offenses, two shaky defenses, two fast-paced teams — all of that results in a lofty total of 169.5.
My Pick: Over 169.5
Washington State vs Iowa College Basketball Betting Preview
Washington State Basketball
Washington State might as well be called Eastern Washington 2.0. New head coach David Riley brought four key pieces with him from Cheney to Pullman (and a fifth is on a Mormon mission).
That ensured a similar identity to last year’s Eagles – a team that went 21-10 (15-3 in the Big Sky) and had the country’s 77th-ranked offense, per KenPom.
Unsurprisingly, that side of the ball is carrying the Eagles – er, the Cougars – again this season. Riley floods the court with skilled size, spacing the court and forcing opponents into difficult conundrums. The Cougars relentlessly matchup hunt, and they have the personnel to ruthlessly bury any poor defenders on the court.
Two EWU arrivals spark that approach. Cedric Coward has emerged into a dark horse NBA prospect thanks to his outrageously versatile game: he can shoot, slash, post up or play a garbage man role on the weak side.
LeJuan Watts is even sturdier than Coward and can bully smaller foes if they have the bad luck of switching on him.
Stretchy big men Dane Erikstrup and Ethan Price – the other two EWU defectors – enable Riley to play five out. They pull opposing bigs away from the bucket, opening up driving lanes for Coward and Watts.
The ultimate skeleton key this year, though, has been Nate Calmese. A prolific freshman at Lamar in 2022-23, he ended up buried on the Washington bench last season, but the talented guard skipped across the state and has found a perfect match in Riley’s system.
Like the rest of the Cougars, he is a scoring threat from anywhere on the court, and his passing helped dissect an outstanding Bradley Braves defense.
The drawbacks to Riley’s roster construction are obvious. Wazzu’s bigs are not rim protectors, and the guards sometimes struggle to contain athletic drivers.
Coward has been a revelation on the defensive end so far this year, and Cal transfer ND Okafor was a difference-maker in his debut against Idaho.
Still, though, this side of the ball is exploitable. And that could be a problem against Fran McCaffery’s Iowa inferno.
Iowa Basketball
If you think you know Iowa basketball, well, you’re probably right.
Like always, the Hawkeyes are an offensive masterpiece, capitalizing on gorgeous ball movement and a bevy of deadly shooters to tie foes into pretzels. McCaffery has had seven straight top-20 offenses by KenPom’s measure, and this group looks well on its way to being the eighth.
The centerpiece is Freeman, a destructive force on the block. He has some Luke Garza in his game via the way he can seal defenders and essentially score before he even catches the ball. Few coaches teach the entry pass, as well as McCaffery – his kids were rock stars at it! – and Freeman benefits from that skill.
It also helps to have pristine floor spacing around him. Payton Sandfort will make triples in the NBA soon (he almost left this offseason), and the 6-foot-8 bomber has immediately found the range this season.
His brother Pryce Sandfort is another ace shooter, and Josh Dix makes it a trio on the wing. All three players are at least 6-foot-6, have made at least eight 3s and are shooting 43.5% or better from deep.
Per usual, though, Iowa’s defense is its soft underbelly. Point guard Brock Harding is tiny and a major target for opposing offenses, and the Hawkeyes’ overall perimeter foot speed is poor outside of veteran transfer Drew Thelwell.
Freeman is a difference-maker at the rim, though – potentially a dominant shot-blocking force. And to McCaffery’s credit, he tried to find a couple of defenders in the portal in Thelwell and Manhattan newcomer Seydou Traore.
Of note: Freeman missed Iowa’s last game, reportedly with illness. He is monumentally important on both sides of the ball. I fully expect him to return, though his fitness/health is worth monitoring.
Washington State vs Iowa Betting Analysis
Efficiency is all but guaranteed in this contest. Both teams possess lethal offensive systems loaded with hyper-skilled players capable of making shots from all over.
Conversely, both defenses have obvious shortcomings that can be targeted by the opposition.
With a sky-high total that is within spitting distance of 170, though, this contest also needs a ton of possessions. Fortunately, both teams are more than willing to attack early in the shot clock. That emboldens me to ride the over at a smaller neutral venue – hopefully, the basket backdrops are ideal for a shootout.
From a side perspective, I make this game almost exactly what it is (Iowa -4). If Freeman is out, Wazzu has plenty of value at that number, but I (and the market) certainly anticipate his return.
Perhaps he will still be somewhat under the weather, which might still create an opportunity to back the underdog. However, I will stick to just the total in this one.
