Predictions: Can WVU pull off big upset of No. 6 Iowa State?

West Virginia heads to Ames, Iowa, to face No. 6 Iowa State.

The Mountaineers are coming off a win against UCF, while the Cyclones lost to No. 2 Houston earlier this week.

As of late, WVU has had success in this series, winning eight of the last nine matchups against the Cyclones, including going 3-1 in their last four trips to Ames.

Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Our staff gives their predictions for the game:

Wesley Shoemaker: For a team that has struggled a ton on the road, asking them to go beat this Iowa State team who is coming off a loss seems unfathomable. The Mountaineers are coming off what was one of their more complete wins against UCF this week, but Iowa State is a different kind of beast. The question for me is can WVU at least hang around and keep it tight. The spread was 17.5 points in favor of the Cyclones, which for a Big 12 game is quite large. Overall, the story will be RaeQuan Battle. He’s heating up as of late but if shots don’t fall early is he going to recognize that and not be inefficient on offense for the Mountaineers. In the end, it’s close for a little bit, but Iowa State pulls away in the second half.

Iowa State 72, West Virginia 61

Patrick Reneau: The Mountaineers will travel to Ames this weekend and take on the Cyclones. Ames has begun to remind me of what the coliseum was a few years ago, a death trap, regardless of rank, you aren’t leaving with a win. Nobody has won in Ames this year and combine that with a team who doesn’t perform well on the road, it’s just a recipe for disaster for West Virginia.

Iowa State 84, West Virginia 67

Ryan Roddy: WVU is coming off a promising offensive performance against UCF in which they shot and moved the ball effectively. RaeQuan Battle has also started to get hit again over the last three games after a rough stretch.However, the Mountaineers are yet to be efficient on the road and have a very tough task in No. 6 Iowa State. The Cyclones score close to 80 points a game on average and have a proven defense that has played well against ranked opponents. With that being said, I don’t see West Virginia finding much success on Saturday.

Iowa State 82, West Virginia 67