College basketball picks: West Virginia-Iowa State prediction, odds, spread for February 27

The West Virginia Mountaineers face off against the Iowa State Cyclones in a Big 12 matchup with major NCAA Tournament implications on Monday, February 27. The game will air on ESPN2 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

West Virginia vs. Iowa State odds

Spread: Iowa State -5
Over/Under: 134
Moneyline: Iowa State -200, West Virginia +170

West Virginia (16-13, 5-11 Big XII) find themselves in a must-win situation here if they hope to make the NCAA Tournament. They have lost four of their last five games – not a great finish to February if they're hoping to make it well into March. The Mountaineers have not won on the road since January, and most recently lost to No. 3 Kansas by two points. WVU is currently listed in ESPN's Last Four Byes and in CBS' Last Four In. They rank 20th at KenPom and 19th in adjusted offensive efficiency, and come in at 26th in the NCAA NET rankings.

Iowa State (17-11, 8-8 Big XII) is coming off a loss against Oklahoma, marking their third loss in a row and fifth loss in their last six games. Sputtering out as the season wraps up, the Cyclones are currently projected to get a No. 4 seed come March. They rank 24th at KenPom and eighth in adjusted defensive efficiency, and sit at 23rd in the NCAA NET rankings. The Cyclones hold opponents to just 62 points per game (17th in the nation).

The last time these two teams faced off, West Virginia won 76-71.

The Pick: West Virginia +5

Both teams have hit something of a rough patch recently. Iowa State hasn't been able to match their defense with offensive productivity, while West Virginia has come close against top Big 12 teams but hasn't been able to finish. I'll take the Mountaineers to keep this one tight as well with so much at stake.

  
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