Iowa State Cyclones vs TCU Horned Frogs Betting Pick & Prediction 1/20/24

Planning on watching today’s Cyclones and Horned Frogs game? Catch the action at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX, as the Horned Frogs hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPNU. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 144.5 points, and the Horned Frogs are favored to win at home vs. the Cyclones.

IOWA STATE CYCLONES VS TCU HORNED FROGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: TCU Horned Frogs -4.5

This game will be played at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena at 2:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.

WHY BET THE TCU HORNED FROGS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Horned Frogs.
• Not only will TCU pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -4.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog Iowa State?

Despite being an underdog, Iowa State has been much better at home this season. The Cyclones have gone 11-1 at home compared to 2-3 on the road. They come into this game with a 13-4 overall record, including a 2-2 mark in Big 12 play.

Over their last 10 road games, Iowa State has gone just 4-6, and they are currently on a two-game losing streak away from home. In their most recent game, the Cyclones fell to BYU by a score of 87-72.

As the underdog this season, Iowa State has gone just 1-2 vs. the spread and they are 4-5-1 over their last 10 games as the underdog. On the road, the Cyclones have an ATS record of just 1-4 this year and their last 10 road games vs. the spread is just 3-7.

Today’s over/under line of 144.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Iowa State’s games this season (137.6). So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s over/under line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 125 points.

In their recent matchup, the Iowa State offense ended with 72 points against BYU. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 44.1% and made 4 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Tamin Lipsey who comes into today’s matchup averaging 14.5. Keshon Gilbert also heads into the game with a PPG average of 13.1.

In the current season, the Iowa State defense has excelled, sitting 6th in the nation by allowing 60.1 points per game. In their previous game vs. BYU, the Cougars finished with a field goal percentage of 47% and a total of 87 points vs. Iowa State.

Will the TCU Defense Show Up at Home?

Through 17 games, TCU is 13-4, including a 2-2 record in Big 12 play. They are 9-2 at home this season, and their average scoring margin at home is +18.4 points per game. Their last game was an 81-77 loss to Cincinnati, and their record as the favorite this season is 12-2.

So far, the Horned Frogs have gone 4-2 on the road, and their average scoring margin in those games is +8.8 points per game. They are favored in today’s game by 4.5 points, and the over/under is set at 144.5 points.

As the favorite this season, TCU has gone 8-6 vs. the spread. Over their last three home games, the Horned Frogs are 3-0 ATS. At home this year, TCU has a 6-5 ATS mark.

On the season, the over/under record in TCU games is 9-8 and today’s line of 144.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (150.1). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 148 points. So far, eight of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line.

Compared to their season average of 83.6 points per game, TCU struggled in their previous game. Against Cincinnati, the Horned Frogs scored 77 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 41.7%. Currently leading the team in scoring is Emanuel Miller who comes into today’s matchup averaging 16.6. Jameer Nelson Jr. also heads into the game with a PPG average of 11.2.

Currently, the Horned Frogs’ defense holds the 95th rank in the nation, allowing 68.6 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, TCU’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 43.0% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.4% this season.