Baylor Bears vs Iowa State Cyclones Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Baylor vs Iowa State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Ames.

Baylor vs Iowa State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Bears and Cyclones game? Catch the action at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA, as the Cyclones hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on CBS. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 152.5 points, and Iowa State is favored to win by -8.5 at home vs. Baylor.

Baylor vs. Iowa State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Baylor Bears at Iowa State Cyclones
Where: Ames at Hilton Coliseum
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds IOWAST -8.5, BAYL +318 | IOWAST -419 O/U 152.5

Bears Preview: Will the Bears Secure A Victory as Road Underdogs?

Baylor Bears Recent Game/Games

Baylor improved to 8-3 on the season with an 81-56 win over Utah on Tuesday, December 31st. The Bears, who were -11.5 favorites, covered the spread in the victory. The total points for the game were 137, which fell short of the 152.5 O/U line.

Baylor took control early, leading 37-17 at halftime. While they allowed 39 points in the 2nd half, they scored 44 of their own to seal the win.

Bears Offense Breakdown

Baylor put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 40.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.4%, with a 51.4% success rate on two-pointers. From beyond the arc, they hit just 28.1% of their attempts, going 9-for-32.

The Bears were strong from the free-throw line, converting 16 of 18 for an 88.9% rate. They grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists. VJ Edgecombe led the way with 19 points, while Norchad Omier and Robert O. Wright III each added 15 points, with Omier also pulling down 14 rebounds.

Bears Team Defense

Even with Baylor giving up 56 points, the Bears held their opponent to 40% shooting from the field. Baylor's defense was particularly effective from beyond the arc, where they limited their opponent to just 28% shooting, with 9 made threes out of 32 attempts.

Inside the arc, Baylor allowed their opponent to shoot 51%, with 19 made two-pointers on 37 attempts. The Bears also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 18 times, where they converted 16 of those attempts, shooting 88%.

Cyclones Preview: Will the Cyclones Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

The Cyclones improved to 11-1 on the season with a 79-69 road win over Colorado on Monday. As -9 favorites, Iowa State covered the spread, and the game’s total points of 148 slightly exceeded the O/U line of 146.5.

Leading 37-31 at halftime, Iowa State outscored Colorado 42-38 in the 2nd half to secure the win.

Cyclones Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Iowa State put up 79 points, shooting 42.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.6%, with a 50% success rate on two-pointers (25/50) and just 22.2% from beyond the arc (4/18). At the free-throw line, they connected on 77.3% of their attempts, hitting 17 of 22.

Julian Hammond III led the way with 21 points and 4 assists, shooting 52.9% overall and 42.9% from three (3/7). Curtis Jones added 20 points, though he struggled from the field, shooting 31.2% overall and 28.6% from deep. The Cyclones grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and finished with 9 assists as a team.

Cyclones Team Defense

Even with Iowa State's defense allowing 69 points, they struggled to contain their opponent's shooting, giving up a 49% field goal percentage. The Cyclones had a tough time inside, where their opponent hit 60% of their two-point shots, going 21/35.

From beyond the arc, Iowa State held their opponent to 31% shooting, with 7 threes made on 22 attempts. The Cyclones also sent their opponent to the line 8 times, where they converted 6 free throws for a 75% rate. Iowa State allowed 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Bears vs Cyclones Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Bears have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 0-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 71 points per game in these contests.
Although Iowa State has a straight up record of 7-3 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 7-2-1. The team averaged 72 points per game in these games.
As the betting underdog, the Bears have an ATS mark of just 3-7 in their last ten games. Baylor posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Cyclones have a straight up record of 10-0 and an ATS mark of 6-4.