The second-ranked Baylor Bears are back at home and looking to take care of business when they host the Iowa State Cyclones in their mid-week Big 12 battle on Wednesday night. With the Bears on fire and riding high into this one and Iowa State looking for the huge upset, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their college football odds.
Iowa State vs Baylor 2020 College Basketball Odds, Preview & Pick
- When: Wednesday January 15, 2020, 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX
- TV: ESPN+
- Radio: Iowa State / Baylor
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- College Basketball Odds: Baylor -9.5 / Total: 140
Why Bet On Iowa State?
The Cyclones are coming into this matchup off an emphatic 81-68 win over Oklahoma on Saturday that snapped a three-game losing streak. Rasir Bolton scored a team-high 23 points and dished out six assists in the win. Iowa State has a solid offense that averages a fantastic 78.4 points per game to rank 35t nationally in scoring.
The bad news is that the Cyclones allow 71.7 points per game defensively to rank a dismal 244th in points allowed while also allowing their opponents to shoot a44.0 percent from the field (252nd). Iowa State has gone 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS on the road this season.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 78.40
- Field Goals: 45.75%
- Three Points: 32.17%
- Free Throws: 70.77%
- Rebounds: 35.73
- Average Score Against: 71.67
- Field Goals: 43.98%
- Three Points: 37.39%
- Free Throws: 66.51%
- Rebounds: 37.53
Why Bet On Baylor?
There are a bunch of good reasons to back Baylor to cover the chalk as a nearly double-digit home favorite in this matchup. First, the Bears have won 12 straight games. More importantly, Baylor ‘showed out’ and made the leap from fourth to second nationally by taking out No. 23 Texas Tech and No. 6 Kansas on the road in their last two games.
The Bears dominated the Jayhawks in their 67-55 win on Saturday to cash in as an 8-point road dog. Jared Butler. Scored a team-high 22 points in the win and the Bears shot 45 percent from the field and a blistering 42 percent from beyond the arc. Baylor has gone 9-1 SU, but just 3-4 ATS at home this season.
The Bears average a decent 73.7 points per game (125th), but it is at the defensive end of the floor where Baylor really excels by limiting the opposition to just 58.1 points per game to rank a stupendous sixth nationally in points allowed while holding their opponents to just 37.9 percent shooting from the field (20th).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 73.71
- Field Goals: 43.48%
- Three Points: 36.19%
- Free Throws: 69.80%
- Rebounds: 38.71
- Average Score Against: 58.14
- Field Goals: 37.87%
- Three Points: 30.65%
- Free Throws: 65.79%
- Rebounds: 32.64
College Basketball Betting Trends for Iowa State vs Baylor
- Iowa State is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games against an opponent in the Big 12 conference
- Iowa State are 2-4 SU in the last 6 games
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Iowa State’s last 7 games
- Baylor is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games
- Baylor is 10-0 SU in the last 10 games
- The total went UNDER in 6 of Baylor’s last 8 games
Iowa State vs Baylor Expert Analysis and Prediction
While Baylor doesn’t have the most explosive offense around, the Bears can clearly shut down any team in the nation at the defensive end of the floor. Having said that, Iowa State looks like a team in trouble heading into this affair. The Bears are bursting with confidence and they certainly don;t want to lose after reaching No. 2 in the national rankings this week.
Iowa State has gone an uninspiring 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against a team with a winning straight up record and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win. Conversely, Baylor has gone a near-perfect 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games against a team with a winning straight up record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. With the home team in this Big 12 rivalry going a consistent 18-8 ATS in the last 26 meetings, I say back the Baylor Bears to win and narrowly cover the chalk!
Pick: Baylor 74 Iowa State 62
