The Baylor Bears will face the Iowa State Cyclones on Friday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, for the Big-12 Semifinals. We're here to share our college basketball odds series, make a Baylor-Iowa State prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
Baylor defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 69-58 on Thursday in the Big-12 Quarterfinals. Cincinnati was up 26-24 at halftime, but the Bears rallied in the second half to win the game and advance. Rayj Dennis led the way with 13 points while shooting 5 for 13. Meanwhile, Jalen Bridges had 12 points while shooting 4 for 11 and also had nine rebounds. Yves Missi added 12 points. Likewise, Ja'Kobe Walter finished with 11 points despite shooting only 3 for 11.
Baylor shot 40 percent from the floor, including only 26.3 percent (5 for 19) from the three-point line. Yet, they held the Bearcats to 40.7 percent from the hardwood, including 22.7 percent from the triples. Baylor also won the board battle 34-23, including 11 offensive rebounds. Additionally, Baylor overcame 15 turnovers.
Iowa State routed Kansas State 76-57 on Thursday in the Big-12 Quarterfinals. They led 34-27 at halftime. Then, they pulled away in the second half to win easily. Robert Jones led the way with 18 points while making 6 of 8 shots. Also, Tre King had 16 points and nine rebounds. Keshon Gilbert added 12 points. Likewise, Tamin Lipsey ended the game with 11 points while shooting 4 for 7.
The Cyclones shot 46.3 percent from the floor, including a measly 7.1 percent from the triples. However, their defense was good enough to hold Kansas State to 38.3 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from the three-point line. They also had 14 steals, which helped cause 19 turnovers.
The teams have met only once this season, with the Bears defeating the Cyclones 70-68 in a nailbiter in Texas. Iowa State has won the Big-12 Tournament five times, while Baylor has yet to win it.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Baylor-Iowa State Odds
Baylor: +1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +104
Iowa State: -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -125
Over: 133.5 (-115)
Under: 133.5 (-105)
How to Watch Baylor vs. Iowa State
Time: 9:35 PM ET/6:35 PM PT
TV: ESPN and ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Baylor Will Cover The Spread/Win
Baylor will need to do everything right to get this victory. Ultimately, they have the advantage of having already defeated the Bears this season. There are several keys to victory. We will look at the top players first.
Dennis had a good game yesterday. Now, he would like to replicate that performance, in addition to his 18-point performance against Iowa State, when he shot 6 for 10. Jayden Nunn is another player you should watch out for. Ultimately, he had 16 points while making 4 of 5 shots, including 2 of 3 from the three-point line. Bridges will be another player to keep an eye on. Significantly, he had 14 points in the game against Iowa State while also going 4 for 7 from the field.
But the Bears will need a good performance from Walter. While he did well yesterday, he did not have a good game against Iowa State, when he scored seven points while shooting 2 for 10. Missi is another player that needs to step up last night. Yes, he did well last night. But Missi managed just six points while shooting 2 for 5 against Iowa State last time.
Baylor also shot 45.7 percent in that game. Overall, their ability to convert from beyond the arc (52.2 percent) may have proved to be the difference in that game. One thing they need to tone down on is the turnovers. Alarmingly, they had 18 in that game against Iowa State.
Baylor will cover the spread if they shoot well from the triples. Then, they need to tone down the turnovers.
Why Iowa State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa State is the favorite in this game, but not by a lot, as these teams match up well. They hope to avenge the loss earlier this season and win their sixth Big-12 title, including their third in six attempts.
Gilbert is the first player to consider. He did well yesterday, shooting 7 for 12 to score 24 points in the game against Baylor. But the real wildcard will be Milan Momclilovic. Unfortunately, he struggled yesterday, scoring only six points while shooting 2 for 9. Momclilovic also scored just 10 points while shooting 4 for 10 against Baylor in their last encounter. Lipsey also struggled in that game, scoring eight points while shooting 3 for 7.
But Iowa State also struggled with turnovers. Moreover, they shot the rock poorly. They barely hit 39.3 percent of their shots. Additionally, they made only 59.4 percent from the charity stripe.
Iowa State will cover the spread if they can handle the rock more efficiently while also making shots. Then, they need to hit their shots from the free-throw line. The last thing they need to do is clamp down on defense and prevent three-point shots.
Final Baylor-Iowa State Prediction & Pick
This is probably one of the toughest games to predict. However, Iowa State did much better than Baylor in their game and seemed to find their legs. It is still a game that could go down to the wire. But Iowa State gets the nod because they are starting to get hot. Look for Baylor to put up a fight, with Iowa State winning it in the very end. This has the looks of a two-point game. Iowa State covers.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Baylor-Iowa State Prediction & Pick: Iowa State: -1.5 (-110)
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