The Iowa State Cyclones will likely take the court in Chicago without standout forward Joshua Jefferson, who injured his ankle in the Round of 64.
The Cyclones were able to overcome that loss to advance to the Sweet 16, where the Tennessee Volunteers await on Friday, March 27.
I’m setting the spread and total aside, as my favorite Tennessee vs. Iowa State player props and March Madness picks get you set for this Midwest Region war.
Tennessee vs Iowa State props
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Tamin Lipsey |
Over 2.5 steals | +130 |
| Milan Momcilovic |
Over 16.5 points | -112 |
 J.P Estrella |
Over 6.5 rebounds | -102 |
Prop #1: Tamin Lipsey Over 2.5 steals
The heart and soul of Iowa State is creating chaos, and no one does it better than Tamin Lipsey.
Lipsey has recorded eight steals in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament and has three or more swipes in four of his last six games dating back to Big 12 play. He’s a pest in the passing lanes and always a threat to knock the ball away on double downs.
Tennessee needs to stay out of the theatre — it’s got butterfingers. The Volunteers finished third in the SEC in turnovers (11.7 per game), and 7.1 of those were off opponent steals.
Prop #2: Milan Momcilovic Over 16.5 points
Inside scoring is tough to come by against Tennessee, as the Vols swarm penetrating passes and jam up the works in the paint. That creates space for kickouts to spot-up threats like Milan Momcilovic.
The Cyclones forward has gone 7-for-16 from deep in the tournament, including knocking down three or more triples in seven of his last nine games. With Joshua Jefferson out, the Cyclones will play Momcilovic at power forward, which should stress the Volunteers’ defense, as Tennessee prefers to crowd the paint with size.
Momcilovic struck 17 or more points in four of his last five outings, and player projections sit as high as 18+ points from the “Serbian Sniper.”
Prop #3: J.P Estrella Over 6.5 rebounds
J.P. Estrella logged only 20 minutes against Virginia but still walked away with five rebounds in the win. The game prior, he pulled down 10 boards in a Round of 64 squash of Miami (Ohio).
Tennessee crashes the glass hard as the second-best rebounding team in the SEC. The Volunteers are hounds on the offensive boards, with Estrella pulling down more than three offensive rebounds per game.
Iowa State is much smaller without Jefferson, losing his team-high 7.4 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-11 Estrella has collected at least seven rebounds in seven of his last 12 outings overall.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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