Baylor vs. Iowa State Prediction & Odds
Number twelve Baylor travels to Ames to face unranked Iowa State at 2:00 PM ET Saturday afternoon on ESPNU. Can the Cyclones cover the 2-point spread as home underdogs on New Year’s Eve?
Baylor is 10-2 on the year with their best wins coming over Gonzaga and UCLA. Their only losses came against Virginia and Marquette. The Bears are 6-6 against the spread this season.
Iowa State is 9-2 this season with their best wins coming over Villanova and North Carolina. Their only losses came against UConn and Iowa. The Cyclones are 6-5 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
641 Baylor Bears (-2) vs. 642 Iowa State Cyclones (+2); O/U 132.5
2:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 31, 2022
James H. Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
Baylor vs. Iowa State Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Bears in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 57% of public bets are on Baylor -2. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Baylor Game Notes
Baylor junior guard LJ Cryer missed Baylor’s last game against Nicholls with a concussion and he’s unlikely to be available for the Bears’ Saturday clash with the Cyclones. This is a big loss for Baylor as Cryer is averaging 14.9 points per game while playing 30.1 minutes per game for the Bears this year.
Cryer’s likely absence means that senior guard Adam Flagler will have to step up. Flagler leads the Bears in scoring with 16.1 points per game and he’s leading Baylor in assists as well with 5.2 per game. Flagler and his fellow guard Keyonte George will both likely have to score in double figures for Baylor to win and cover this contest.
Iowa State Game Notes
Iowa State will be missing a key player due to injury as well on Saturday. The Cyclones’ leading rebounder, Aljaz Kunc suffered a fractured finger and will be out for the foreseeable future. Kunc was averaging 8.5 points and 5.9 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game for Iowa State this year.
Iowa State’s leading scorer is senior guard Jaren Holmes. Holmes is pouring in 13.8 points per game while shooting a respectable 38.9% from downtown on the year. He’s scored at least 10 points in 9 out of 11 contests this season and he’ll likely have to do so again for Iowa State to cover on Saturday.
Baylor vs. Iowa State CBB Betting Trends
Baylor is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following an outright win.
Baylor is 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games following an outright win of more than 20 points.
Iowa State is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS loss.
The underdog 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between Baylor and Iowa State.
Baylor vs. Iowa State CBB Prediction:
Baylor has only played one true road game all season and they got blasted by Marquette 96-70 in that contest in Milwaukee on November 29th. The Bears’ leading scorer in that game was guard LJ Cryer with 19 points. Cryer is likely going to miss this game in Ames on Saturday, and the Bears will be without his scoring average of 14.9 points per contest.
Iowa State on the other hand has won every home game they’ve played by double digits. The Cyclones will be without forward Aljaz Kunc on Saturday, but forwards Robert Jones and Tre King both scored in double figures in the game that Kunc left with an injury. I think Iowa State’s depth and home-court advantage offer a lot of value as a +110 money-line underdog but I’ll take the Cyclones and the points as the pick.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: IOWA STATE CYCLONES +2
