Betting on the Iowa State Cyclones NCAA Basketball Team
The Iowa State Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA Division I. Based in Ames, Iowa State University’s men’s basketball team has a history that stretches back all the way to 1907. The team has played more than 2,500 games in its history — and has an all-time winning percentage of 0.510, with 12 championships to its name.
In this guide to betting on the Iowa State Cyclones, we start with a brief history of the team, focusing on its best runs in the NCAA Tournament. Next up, the guide details the betting options on each Cyclones game — covering basketball betting in general. Betting is now legal in Iowa, and you’ll find the different options of where to place those bets at the end of this page.
History of the Iowa Cyclones basketball team
The first real success for the Cyclones came in 1935 when they would clinch the Big Eight Conference Regular Season title, finishing the season with an 8-2 conference record. They would then win three more titles in the next 10 years, and overall have won 14 conference championships.
The best run of success for the team in terms of conference wins has been in recent years. The Cyclones have won the Big 12 Conference Tournament five times in total with recent successes in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 (the last two under the stewardship of current coach Steve Prohm).
In all, the Cyclones have played in the NCAA Championship a total of 20 times. Their biggest success came in their first entry in 1944, when they reached the Final Four. However, this should come with a disclaimer that only eight teams played in the championship at that time.
Cyclones: Biggest recent success
The biggest success in recent years came in the year 2000, when on the back of winning both the regular season and the conference championship in the Big 12 after going 14-2, the Cyclones entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed. Three wins against Central Connecticut State, Auburn and UCLA saw them reach the Elite Eight. Nevertheless, they would face a strong Michigan State team and suffer a 64-75 defeat (Michigan State would go on to win it all).
Unfortunately, three of their next five entries into the tournament would see them face the eventual champions early, including in 2014 when they reached the Sweet Sixteen. A couple of years later in 2016 they would reach that stage again. 2019 was a disappointment that saw the conference champs exit in the first round as #6 seeds to #11 Ohio State in a tight 59-62 defeat.
Betting on basketball in Iowa
Sports betting is now widely available in Iowa, with sportsbooks offering a range of markets on all Iowa State Cyclones games — as well as a full range of NBA and NCAA matches. Here are some of the most popular markets:
Point Spread — In this market the sportsbook will add a number of points onto the underdogs to make the game an even betting proposition. If you’ve backed the favored team, you’d need it to win by more than the point spread, otherwise all backers of the underdog will win.
Money Line — This is a simple bet on the outright winner of the game. The money line can be a good option if you fancy an outsider to cause an upset at long odds (in March Madness for example), or if you think a favorite is a solid win for a small return.
Totals — Totals wagers are where you’ll predict if the total amount of points in the game (from both sides combined) will be higher or lower than a given number. A good market to get involved in if you think the game will be either offense or defense dominated.
As well as these options, on the bigger games in the season you can find a series of prop bets. These can be based on the score at halftime or individual player performances.
The main futures market in college basketball is the outright winner of the NCAA Championship. If you think the Iowa Cyclones might have a chance of success in March, you can back them early at long odds.
Where to legally bet on basketball in Iowa
The sports betting scene in Iowa recently underwent huge changes. Bill SF 617, passed in May 2019, made sports betting legal at casino sportsbooks and also online.
Virtually all of the casinos in Iowa now offer sports betting. Many of these books are co-branded with online betting giants like FanDuel Sportsbook and FOX Bet or William Hill. In addition to the retail sports betting outlets, you can now bet online. This is legal as long as you are 21+ and within state lines. Registering is simple, with the final step requiring a visit to the retail sportsbook that sponsors the app.
Betting on Iowa State basketball via an app or website has many advantages. Not only does this add convenience, but you will also be able to enjoy new forms of wagering. In-play betting, for instance, is very popular and allows you to bet on matches that are already underway — the odds will change as the action unfolds. Cash out / early redemption betting adds another new option.
Many Iowa sports betting sites offer free bets and generous matched deposit welcome bonuses. Make sure you check this detailed guide to sportsbook bonuses before you sign up.