USATSI

The No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels will try to recover from their thrilling win over North Carolina in time for their NCAA Tournament second-round matchup against No. 3 seed Iowa State on Sunday evening. Ole Miss almost let a 22-point lead slip through the cracks against the Tar Heels, but the Rebels responded with several critical plays down the stretch. They are in the Big Dance for the first time since 2019 and are seeking their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2001. Iowa State is coming off a dominant first-round performance, cruising to an 82-55 win over No. 14 seed Lipscomb.  

The game from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee tips off at approximately 7:45 p.m. ET. The Cyclones are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa State vs. Ole Miss odds from the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 144.5. Iowa State's over/under for total team points is 74.5, while Ole Miss' is 69.5. Before making any Ole Miss vs. Iowa State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Iowa State vs. Ole Miss and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Ole Miss vs. Iowa State:

  • Iowa State vs. Ole Miss spread: Iowa State -5.5
  • Iowa State vs. Ole Miss over/under: 144.5 points 
  • Iowa State vs. Ole Miss money line: Iowa State -240, Ole Miss +197
  • IAST: 20-14 against the spread (ATS) this season 
  • MISS: 17-17 ATS this season 
  • Iowa State vs. Ole Miss picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Iowa State can cover

Iowa State took firm control of its first-round game against Lipscomb early in the first half and never looked back en route to an 82-55 win. The Cyclones hit 58.3% of their shots from the floor and held a 50-20 advantage in points in the paint. They also won the rebounding battle by a final tally of 35-23, and their size could be an issue for Ole Miss in this matchup.     

Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic scored 20 points in the win over Lipscomb, knocking down 4-of-8 attempts from 3-point range. Curtis Jones averages a team-high 17.1 points per game, and he was right on his season average with 17 points in the first round. The Cyclones have covered the spread in four of their last six games, while Ole Miss is 4-12 against the spread in its last 16 contests. See which team to pick here.

Why Ole Miss can cover 

Ole Miss played a near-perfect first half against North Carolina, racing out to a 44-26 lead at the break. The Rebels increased their lead to 50-28 before the Tar Heels used a furious rally to pull within 66-64 in the final minutes. Ole Miss veteran Sean Pedulla knocked down the biggest 3-pointer of his career and added a pair of free throws with 34 seconds remaining to help his team advance to the second round. 

Pedulla scored a game-high 20 points, while Dre Davis added 15 points. The Rebels have five players averaging more than 10 points per game, helping the school make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. Iowa State is without second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert for the remainder of the season due to a groin injury. See which team to pick here.

How to make Iowa State vs. Ole Miss picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 148 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Ole Miss vs. Iowa State, and which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Iowa State vs. Ole Miss spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,000 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.