The Iowa State Cyclones are hosting the Kansas Jayhawks in Big 12 College Basketball action tonight. The game is scheduled for a 9:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Cyclones favored to pick up the win at home in a close contest.
Iowa State just knocked off No. 1 Oklahoma last week on Big Monday, tonight they take on another highly-ranked team in Kansas. The Jayhawks aren’t going to be ranked No. 1 coming into this one as they lost to Oklahoma State earlier this week, but they do stay at No. 3 overall in the coaches poll. The Cyclones have spent time inside the Top 10 this year as well, but a tough schedule has them in the second tier of rankings, tonight they come in ranked 16th. Iowa State beat both Oklahoma and TCU last week, the next few games are going to be key to the Cyclones’ season.
Beginning with tonight’s game against third-ranked Kansas, Iowa State then moves on to play at Texas A&M (No. 5) and West Virginia (No. 9) in what should be the toughest three-game stretch they will play all season before the tournament.
The Hilton Magic is alive and well once again, Iowa State has gone 9-1 there this season and the only team to win was Baylor, the Bears scored 60 second-half points to do so. This is a huge game in the conference standings as Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia and Baylor all have 5-2 records, Texas and Iowa State are tied for second place at 4-3.
Georges Niang and Monte Morris could prove to be the difference in this one. Both are explosive players that could cause matchup problems for Kansas. The Jayhawks are set to try and stop five Iowa State players that average double figures per game. Kansas could take advantage of their deeper team in this one, though.
If Iowa State battles foul issues in this game, it’s going to be tough to win. Their starting five is one of the best in the country, but depth is an issue. If this is a physical game, Kansas can win enough battles to get the road victory.
Hilton Magic will strike again, though. This should be a close contest.
Free Pick: Iowa State
$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
Stay on top of the latest odds and line moves for the CBB and NFL seasons with our real-time odds from Las Vegas and offshore.