Kansas State vs. Iowa State Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Kansas State Wildcats currently hold a one game lead in the Big 12 title race over Kansas, Texas, and their opponent on Tuesday night, the Iowa State Cyclones. Kansas State is 6-1 in conference play, and the Wildcats' only Big 12 loss to date came on the road against TCU 10 days ago.

However, they have been rather fortunate as three of their six Big 12 wins have come in overtime. That has No. 12 Iowa State favored per the college basketball betting odds against No. 5 Kansas State, and the Cyclones have a golden opportunity to make a statement win on Tuesday night.

The Iowa State Cyclones haven't lost a home game since last season when they fell to Oklahoma State in their season finale in Ames. Their second-to-last home loss came last February when Kansas State was in town, so Iowa State will have revenge on its mind when these teams meet on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. This game will tip off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU from James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Prediction

Iowa State's defense will come up big in leading the Cyclones past Kansas State on Tuesday night. The Cyclones are one of the best teams in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers, and the Wildcats are susceptible to giving up the ball. The home crowd will help Iowa State ratchet up the pressure, and Kansas State will make too many mistakes in a double-digit loss.

Score Prediction: Iowa State 72 Kansas State 59
Best Bet: Iowa State -4.5

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Odds

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Resources

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 24 2023
TV-Time: ESPNU, 9:00 p.m. ET
Venue: James H. Hilton Coliseum
Location: Ames, Iowa
Matchup
Expert Picks

Big 12 Championship Odds

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones Betting Stats

Kansas State Wildcats
SU: 17-2
ATS: 14-5
O/U: 11-8
PPG: 77.9
OPPG: 67.5

Iowa State Cyclones
SU: 14-4
ATS: 12-6
O/U: 6-12
PPG: 70.6
OPPG: 58.6

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Kansas State Wildcats Betting Analysis

Florida transfer Keyontae Johnson is Kansas State's leading scorer and rebounder with 18.5 PPG and 7.4 RPG. Johnson posted a double-double in Kansas State's win over Texas Tech last week, and he has been a reliable shooter. He is making 54.8% of his field goals and 40.4% of his threes this season, but turnovers have been a major problem for Johnson in conference play. Additionally, there's little doubt that this is something of a lookahead spot for him as Kansas State hosts Florida in Manhattan this weekend.

Spark plug guard Markquis Nowell is the second-leading scorer on Kansas State. Nowell has limited professional prospects at 5'8, but he has been a real weapon this season with his passing and defense. He is averaging 16.7 PPG, 8.2 APG, and 2.3 SPG, and he is making 41.1% of his field goals and 36.8% of his threes. Turnovers and blocked shots are a problem due to his size, yet the good far outweighs the bad.

Kansas State's offense is ranked 34th nationally by Ken Pomeroy, but there isn't one thing the Wildcats excel at in particular. They rank outside the top 50 in every major offensive category, so their strength is that they are well-rounded in everything except the turnover department. Johnson and Porter are two of the only solid perimeter shooters on the team, as everyone else aside from Ismael Massoud is shooting less than 33% from beyond the arc.

Iowa State Cyclones Betting Analysis

The Cyclones aren't great on offense, ranking 67th nationally according to Ken Pomeroy. The only thing they do very well on offense is get frequent second chances due to their rebounding, but they aren't very accurate shooters and don't get to the free throw line with regularity either. It's a team effort for Iowa State on the glass as no one has at least 6.0 RPG, while all 10 rotation players are averaging at least 2.3 RPG.

Jaren Holmes is the leading scorer on Iowa State with 12.9 PPG. Gabe Kalscheur is right behind Holmes with 12.8 PPG, and the only other Iowa State player scoring in the double digits is Caleb Grill (10.3 PPG). As is the case with the rebounding, no one on Iowa State is a particularly deadly shooter. Instead, defenses just have to play solid perimeter defense as the five leading scorers on Iowa State are all sinking between 33.3% and 37.6% of their treys.

Iowa State has an elite defense that is ranked 7th according to Ken Pomeroy. They force more turnovers than any other team in the country with a little more than half those turnovers coming by way of steals. Six players on Iowa State are averaging at least 1.2 SPG, as this deep rotation can constantly keep the pressure up. They defend the three-point line well too, as opponents are making just 30.4% of their triples against the Cyclones.