NCAA Basketball
2026-03-22 - Kentucky Wildcats at Iowa State Cyclones
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NCAA Basketball Tournament Second Round
Sunday 22nd March 2026 - Scheduled 2:45pm
6:45pm (British Time)
Preview
All eyes are on the status of Iowa State Cyclones' Joshua Jefferson who was injured in the blowout First Round win. This is a key player on both sides of the court for the Cyclones and will certainly make it tougher for them as they prepare to face Kentucky Wildcats without him.
We will find out more about Jefferson in the lead up to this Second Round game with just a day of rest between the First Round and Second Round.
Even if he cannot go, the Iowa State Cyclones have to feel they have enough on the Defensive side of the court to contain the Kentucky Wildcats, who are not a vintage Kentucky team. While the Cyclones were very comfortable First Round winners, the Wildcats had to dig deep to earn their own victory and you do have to wonder if they have left something out on the court.
Kentucky are very reliant on strong Offensive performances, but they have not always been efficient on this side of the court.
When they have struggled to find those open looks, the Wildcats have a poor record and they are going to try and do something that teams have struggled to do against the Iowa State Cyclones. Kentucky need to go at around 48% from the field to have a chance, but the Cyclones have only allowed that to happen seven times all season.
Another area where the Kentucky Wildcats will be looking to expose the Iowa State Cyclones is with the superior depth- they will push the tempo and test the shorter rotations used by the higher Seed, but it may still be a big ask for the Wildcats to earn the upset.
If they can pull the Cyclones into a scrap, the Wildcats may have a chance, but this is not a team built for that and instead Kentucky want an expansive game. That could lead to the turnovers on which the Iowa State Defensive unit thrive and the Cyclones may overwhelm this opponent, as they have done against so many opponents this season.
Prediction
Lay the points with the higher Seed.
The Pick :
Iowa State Cyclones 74-64 Kentucky Wildcats
