Do the Iowa State women have weekend plans? Wednesday’s games will determine who moves on to the next round of March Madness.
The Cyclones will face second-seeded Texas A&M with a Sweet 16 berth at stake. The Aggies entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 team in the Associated Press poll. They dodged one of the bigger upsets in Women’s March Madness history with an 84-80 win Monday over Troy in the first round.
Iowa State also eked out a 4-point win Monday, with a 79-75 win over 10th-seeded Michigan State. Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American Ashley Joens led the Cyclones with 33 points.
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Betting odds for Iowa State women
As of Wednesday morning, Betfred had the shortest odds for a Texas A&M win at -2.5. DraftKings and William Hill tab the Aggies as 3-point favorites Wednesday. BetMGM puts the line at +3.5 for the Cyclones.
DraftKings Director of Race and Sports Operations Johnny Avello thinks bettors will have an entertaining game to wager on:
“That game is gonna be a real good one. The Aggies are very small favorite in that game — a two and-a-half point favorite (on Tuesday). Anytime I see a 1- or 2-point favorite, that’s a toss up to me. So, I could see that one going either way.”
The game begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Alamo Dome’s south court in San Antonio. ESPN2 will have the game. Here are the odds from Iowa’s top sportsbooks.
| Teams | DraftKings | William Hill | Betfred | BetMGM | BetRivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State | Spread: +3 -110 Total: O 145.5 -110 Moneyline: +135 | +3 -110 O 145 -110 No moneyline | +2.5 -105 O 144.5 -115 +125 | +3.5 -115 O 145.5 -115 +125 | +3 -110 O 145.5 -110 +135 |
| Texas A&M | Spread: -3 -112 Total: U 145.5 -110 Moneyline: -167 | -3 -110 U 145 -110 No moneyline | -2.5 -120 U 144.5 -115 +150 | -3.5 -105 U 145.5 -105 -155 | -3 -112 U 145.5 -110 +167 |
Did Selection Committee underseed Aggies?
The Cyclones are making their 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and have an all-time record of 19-18. The total includes five Sweet 16 appearances and two trips to the Elite Eight.
Coach Bill Fennelly has been at the helm for Iowa State’s entire NCAA Tournament history.
“You know, A&M is a team — a lot of people thought could have been the number one seed, they’ve had a phenomenal year. When you win the SEC regular season, that’s pretty much tells you. But (A&M coach) Gary (Blair’s) teams are always well coached. He’s got a phenomenal staff. There’ll be well prepared as always.”
He compared Texas A&M’s style to Texas and Baylor.
“They’re gonna be long, they’re gonna be athletic. They’re going to change defenses, and they’re going to be a great rebounding team. … Our kids are excited, I’m sure, and we’re looking forward to a tremendous challenge.”
Texas A&M is seeking its third consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16. The Iowa State-Texas A&M winner faces the winner of third-seeded Arizona and 11-seed BYU in the Mercado Region.
