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The Memphis Tigers take on the Iowa State Cyclones in Sioux Falls, SD. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Iowa State is favored by -12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1050. The total is set at 154.5 points.
Here’s my Memphis vs. Iowa State prediction and college basketball picks for November 2, 2026.
Memphis vs Iowa State Prediction
Pick: Iowa State -12.5 (Play to -15)
My Memphis vs Iowa State best bet is on the Cyclones to cover. Be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page and download the Action Network app for the latest picks and analysis.
Memphis vs Iowa State Odds
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -105 | 155.5 -105o / -115u | +675 |
| Iowa State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -115 | 155.5 -105o / -115u | -1050 |
- Memphis vs Iowa State spread: Iowa State -12.5 (-115), Memphis +12.5 (-105)
- Memphis vs Iowa State over/under: 155.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Memphis vs Iowa State moneyline: Memphis +675, Iowa State -1050
Memphis vs Iowa State College Basketball Preview
Memphis Basketball
To call this a big year for Penny Hardaway would be an understatement. The Tigers won 13 games last year and barely qualified for the AAC Tournament.
Now, Hardaway has re-tooled with better talent, but one of those pieces — Nemanja Popovic — can't play for the first six games due to playing professionally in the past.
The Tigers' offense was a disaster last year, ranking 207th in offensive efficiency. They turned the ball over 19% of the time — a common issue in the Hardaway era — and shot just 31% from deep.
Hardaway made moves to at least improve the shooting, with Rihards Vavers (41% from 3 at Wazzu) and Jerry Deng (37% from 3 in 2024-25).
In general, the shooting probably isn't enough — at least in the starting lineup. The guards aren’t shooters. Jayden Reid is pound-for-pound the best player on Memphis, and he shot 31% from 3. He’s a good defender and a terrific passer, but facing this vaunted defense could limit him.
The same goes for Josh Holloway, who’s a slightly worse version of Reid. Holloway, just like Reid, wants to get into the lane, play tough defense and set shooters up. Luke Almodovar shot 31% from 3, and big man Tylik Weeks shot 22% from 3.
In eight seasons with Hardaway at the helm, Memphis has turned the ball over 18% of the time or more every season. Only one time the Tigers finished inside the top 200 in turnover rate. That's a program issue, not a roster issue.
With Popovic out, Memphis will play more of Corneilous Williams and Maxim Logue. Neither is the scorer that Popovic is, so Memphis will likely have to get creative and focus on perimeter scoring.
Scoring inside on Memphis is tough as it is; not having Popovic will make it tougher.
Iowa State Basketball
Iowa State is as consistent as it gets. The Cyclones won 22+ games in four of T.J. Otzelberger's five seasons as head coach and finished top-10 in defensive efficiency in four of those five.
That will be the case again with Iowa State's sturdy backcourt of Tamin Lipsey and Jaquan "Bully" Johnson.
Lipsey is now eligible with a TRO for a fifth season, and Johnson offers a similar skill set to Lipsey, with a better jumper. The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Johnson can shut down whoever the Tigers mainly play at the two, and Lipsey will look to keep Reid out of the paint.
With those two guards, the Cyclones could turn over Memphis early and often. Scoring inside will be difficult, too, with Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta having the flexibility to play together in two-big lineups.
I love the guards; I love the bigs. My one reservation is shooting. Look, the Cyclones weren't getting Milan Momcilovic back and won't shoot 38% from 3 as a team. But can they shoot in the 34-36% range?
If Johnson and Lipsey shoot well enough, I don't see why not. Sophomore Jamarion Batemon should improve, and he's a sniper. They also brought in Ryan Prather Jr. from RMU, who can light it up from deep.
Memphis vs. Iowa State Pick, Betting Analysis
I want to lay out the points.
This has the feel of a game where Iowa State smothers its opponent, and getting to 60 points could be a chore.
Memphis will have to make 3s consistently, and despite adding Vavers and Deng, I don't consider the Tigers a "good" shooting team.
Pick: Iowa State -12.5 (Play to -15)
