15* Big 12 GAME OF THE DAY on Iowa State -3.5

Iowa State vs. West Virginia, 03/09/2013 13:30 EDT, Score: 83 - 74

Point Spread: -3½/-110 Iowa State

Sportsbook: BookMaker

Result: Win

The Iowa State Cyclones are squarely on the bubble and need this win to get into the NCAA Tournament. A win and they're almost certainly in, while a loss would leave a lot of work to do in the Big 12 Tournament. This is one of the most underrated teams in the country.

Iowa State (20-10) is the definition of a team that is much better than its record would indicate. It has several close, heartbreaking losses this season, including a pair of overtime losses to Kansas in which the Jayhawks banked in a 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the refs blew foul calls down the stretch of the other defeat.

West Virginia is simply one of the worst teams in the Big 12 at 13-17 on the season. It has given up on its season for a while now, losers of five straight coming into this one. Four of those five losses came by double-digits, including a 57-73 home loss to Oklahoma State, and a 65-91 setback at Kansas.

The Mountaineers are 1-9 ATS vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts this season. Iowa State is 9-1 ATS after having lost 2 of their last 3 games over the last 2 seasons. West Virginia is 0-6 ATS after a game where they made 53% of their free throws or worse over the last 3 seasons. The Mountaineers are 0-7 ATS in home games after allowing 80 points or more 2 straight games since 1997. These four trends combine for a 31-2 system backing the Cyclones. Roll with Iowa State Saturday.