The Iowa State Cyclones (20-11, 9-9 Big 12) clash against the Baylor Bears (19-12, 10-8 Big 12) in the Big 12 Conference Tourney at Sprint Center. The Cyclones opened as a 3-point favorite. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 144 points and it can be seen on ESPN2 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Baylor Bears Betting Odds
Both teams lost in their last outing. The Cyclones (2.5-point underdogs) were defeated by the eighth-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, 80-73, while the Bears (8.5-point underdogs) fell to the 13th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, 78-70. Both games went over their projected point totals. The Iowa State game went 16 points over the projected point total of 137, while the Baylor game finished 8 points over the projected point total of 140.
Iowa State had a free throw rate of 0.315 (above their season average of 0.215) while Baylor had a better offensive rebounding percentage (36.7 vs. 32.4). Jared Butler had a good game for Baylor, finishing with 31 points and six rebounds. Lindell Wigginton, meanwhile played a pivotal role for Iowa State with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Cyclones games have a slight tendency to finish under the total (51.6 percent). Iowa State comes into the game with records of 20-11 straight up (SU) and 16-15 against the spread (ATS).
Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Bears games, with 15 overs compared to 15 unders. Additionally, Baylor owns records of 19-12 SU and 17-12-2 ATS.
Baylor could own the offensive glass in this showdown. The Bears currently rank fourth in offensive rebounding percentage (38.3 percent), while Iowa State ranks 255th in defensive rebounding percentage (70.2 percent).
Iowa State vs. Baylor Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Iowa State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Iowa State ranks 26th in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while Baylor ranks 186th (4.2).
- The Cyclones rank 36th in assists per game (15.5) while the Bears rank 125th in assists allowed per game (12.8).
- Iowa State ranks 22nd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while Baylor ranks 91st (5.9).
- The Bears rank 40th in rebounds per game (38.2) while the Cyclones rank 168th (35.1).
- Baylor ranks 118th in three pointers attempted per game (23.3) while Iowa State ranks 212th in three pointers allowed per game (23.6).
Bettings Trends:
- In their last five games, Iowa State and Baylor have both had 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Bears are 2-3 ATS over their last five games, while the Cyclones are 1-4.
- The Bears have been outscored by an average of 1.8 points in their last five games. On the season, Baylor has defeated opponents by an average of 5.2 points.
- During their last five games, the Cyclones have scored an average of 73.4 points per game (4.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.4 points per game (9.6 above their season average).
