Iowa State favored by 5.5 points against Ole Miss

The SportsLine Projection Model has shared predictions for the upcoming second-round game in the 2025 NCAA Tournament between Ole Miss and Iowa State. This matchup will take place on Sunday evening. Ole Miss, seeded No. 6, is coming off a close win against North Carolina, where they almost lost a big lead. They are looking to make an impact in the tournament after not participating since 2019. Their aim is to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in over 20 years. Iowa State, the No. 3 seed, won their first-round game easily, beating Lipscomb 82-55. The game will kick off at approximately 7:45 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Currently, Iowa State is favored to win by 5.5 points, with a total points over/under set at 145.5. Iowa State has shown strong performance, especially in their first game, where they shot 58.3 percent. Key player Curtis Jones has maintained a solid average of 17.1 points this season. Meanwhile, Ole Miss has struggled a bit against the spread lately but had a standout performance from Sean Pedulla in the last game against North Carolina. The model predicts the total points in their matchup will be around 148 and leans towards a bet that hits nearly 60% of the time in its simulations. This model has a successful track record, previously defeating the majority of CBS Sports tournament brackets. Injuries could play a role as Iowa State will be without their second-leading scorer, Keshon Gilbert. Fans can check SportsLine for detailed picks and predictions ahead of the game.