Iowa State vs. UConn Women: Picks, Predictions and Odds

The fourth-ranked UConn Huskies women’s basketball team heads to Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night to take on the visiting Iowa State Cyclones in the second game of the annual Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase, immediately following LSU vs. Seton Hall. 

The Huskies (9-1) were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten last week when they lost at Notre Dame, 79-68. Coach Geno Auriemma’s squad hosts the Cyclones, who are 9-3 after losing three of their last seven games following a 5-0 start to drop out of the Top 25.

Paige Bueckers continues to lead Connecticut at an All-American level, while Sarah Strong is one of the best newcomers in the nation.

In Iowa State, the Huskies are facing its largest frontcourt of the season, as five Cyclones stand 6-foot-2 or taller. That includes center Audi Crooks, who was named First Team All-Big 12 and an Honorable Mention All-American last season.

Iowa State vs. UConn Women betting picks and predictions

UConn -15.5 (-110)

The Huskies recovered from the loss at Notre Dame by pummeling Georgetown to open Big East play over the weekend, winning 79-44. Bueckers had 24 points while Strong added 17 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.

Bueckers leads the team at 20 points per game, to go along with 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Strong leads the team with 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. 

Crooks leads Iowa State with 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She has posted five double-doubles this season, including three times in the Cyclones’ last four games. Addy Brown is adding 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for Iowa State, followed by Emily Ryan with 7.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game. 

UConn is shooting 51 percent from the field and averaging 79 points a game, while Iowa State is averaging 76.7 points per contest. The Huskies are holding opponents to just under 52 points a game. 

The story here is the Cyclones’ inability to win so far this season on the road or against ranked opponents. Iowa State lost by 12 at Northern Iowa last month, and by six at rival and then-No. 21 Iowa six days ago.

The most glaring result is a 40-point loss to South Carolina at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Thanksgiving. In that contest, Iowa State surrendered 32 straight points in the first half and was outclassed throughout.

The Cyclones have reached the NCAA Tournament each of the last four seasons and are seasoned against top-level opponents, indicating the South Carolina game was a fluke. But our experts see UConn superior here. Look for the Huskies to win this game and cover the -15.5-point spread as favorites. 

Under 140.5 Total Points (-110)

With Bueckers and Strong clicking on all cylinders, and a recent loss still lingering on their minds, the Huskies will continue to be an extra motivated squad on the floor. Iowa State will need to dominate in the paint to keep pace.

The Cyclones move the ball around well – they are sixth in the nation in team assists with more than 20 per game — and they do a good job feeding Crooks inside. She has made 104 field goals this season, second best in the nation, and has scored in double figures 44 straight times.

While that is happening, less damage is being done beyond the arc. Even if Iowa State can keep it somewhat close, we expect the point totals to be down below both team’s averages.

And then there is this: UConn has only totaled more than 140.5 points with its opponent once in 10 games this season, in the loss to Notre Dame. Iowa State has surpassed that total five times in 12 games.

We’ll go with the Huskies’ track record so far and look for the total tonight to go Under 140.5 points.   

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Basketball on site.

Iowa State vs. UConn Women odds

Iowa State	+1800 ML
UConn	-8000 ML
Spread	UConn -15.5
Total Points	O/U 140.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.