Baylor Bears vs Iowa State Cyclones NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25
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. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 152.5 points, and Iowa State is favored by -8.5 to win at home against Baylor.
BAYLOR BEARS VS IOWA STATE CYCLONES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Baylor Bears +8.5
This game will be played at Hilton Coliseum at 2:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.
WHY BET THE BAYLOR BEARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Cyclones.
- Even though we have Iowa State winning straight-up, we like Baylor at +8.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 152.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Can Baylor Lock in a Road Win?
Baylor Bears Recent Game/Games
The Bears improved to 8-3 on the season with a dominant 81-56 win over the Utes on Tuesday. Baylor, playing at home, entered the game as -11.5 point favorites and covered the spread with ease.
After taking a commanding 37-17 lead at halftime, Baylor scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 39. The game’s total points of 137 fell short of the O/U line of 152.5.
Baylor put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 40.6% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 28.1% on 9-of-32 shooting, leading to an effective field goal percentage of 46.4%.
At the free-throw line, the Bears were efficient, connecting on 16-of-18 attempts for 88.9%. Norchad Omier was a force on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds, while also contributing 15 points. VJ Edgecombe led the team with 19 points, shooting 60% from the field and 50% from three.
Despite giving up 56 points, Baylor’s defense held their opponent to 40% shooting from the field, with 28 made baskets on 69 attempts. Inside the arc, their opponent shot 51%, converting 19 of 37 two-point attempts.
From three-point range, Baylor’s defense limited their opponent to 9 made threes on 32 attempts, a 28% shooting performance. Their opponent was also efficient from the free-throw line, hitting 16 of 18 for 88%. Baylor allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.
Will Iowa State Win at Home?
The Cyclones improved to 11-1 on the season with a 79-69 road win over Colorado on Monday. Iowa State entered the game as 9-point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 148 went over the 146.5 O/U line.
Leading 37-31 at halftime, Iowa State scored 42 points in the 2nd half while allowing 38, securing the win and covering the spread.
Iowa State put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 42.6% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 18 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.6%, but they made up for it with 20 offensive rebounds and a solid 77.3% from the free-throw line, connecting on 17 of 22 attempts.
Julian Hammond III led the way with 21 points, shooting 52.9% overall and 42.9% from three. Curtis Jones added 20 points despite shooting 31.2% from the field and 28.6% from deep. RJ Smith and Keshon Gilbert each contributed 14 points, with Gilbert hitting 60% of his shots.
Even with Iowa State allowing 69 points, they struggled defensively, giving up 49% shooting from the field. The Cyclones had particular trouble inside, where their opponent shot 60% on two-point attempts, going 21/35.
From beyond the arc, Iowa State held their opponent to 31% shooting, with 7 made threes on 22 attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 8 times, where they made 6 free throws at a 75% clip. The Cyclones gave up 11 offensive rebounds.