NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Saturday, Dec. 19, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Arena: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA
Line: Iowa State (-7)
Trying to win their tenth straight game, the Iowa State Cyclones will be well aware of the upset that the Northern Iowa Panthers pulled over the North Carolina Tar Heels earlier in the season. That being said, these two in-state “rivals” face off on Saturday night in what could be one of the biggest upsets of the day.
So far this season, Iowa State have looked like the team everyone expected them to be before Fred Hoiberg left for the NBA. Save for their opening game against the Colorado Buffaloes and a close game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Cyclones have dominated every opponent they have faced this season. Jameel McKay, Monte Morris and Georges Niang all average at least 15 points per game and at least six in another key stat. This team, which many had falling out of the top five after Hoiberg’s departure, looks like a legitimate national title contender.
Northern Iowa, on the other hand, have cooled off a bit from their electric start to the season. After a six-game winning streak, the Panthers have lost two of their last three. The good news for Northern Iowa is that all of these games were true road games; the bad news for the Panthers is that Iowa State is not a team you want to face in an attempt to get back on track.
Northern Iowa is one of the better mid-major teams in the country, but I honestly believe that Iowa State is the best all-around team in college basketball right now. The Cyclones stomp the Panthers Saturday night and make it to 10-0.
Prediction: Iowa State 78, Northern Iowa 65
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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