The Iowa State Cyclones take on the Baylor Bears. Check out our college football odds series for our Iowa State Baylor prediction and pick. Find how to watch Iowa State Baylor.

Iowa State and Baylor have both had bumpy rides this season. They are in the middle of the Big 12 Conference with no shot at a prestigious bowl bid and very little chance of making the Big 12 Championship Game. Iowa State made the Big 12 title game in the 2020 season. Baylor made the game in 2019 and won it in 2021. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and Baylor coach Dave Aranda have both won New Year's Six bowl games, something which has not happened very often in the history of either program. In Campbell's case, Iowa State had never reached a New Year's Six bowl before Campbell took the Cyclones to the Fiesta Bowl in the 2020 season. These two coaches are talented and have produced some terrific seasons in the recent past. However, this year, both men are struggling with their programs. Neither team is two games above .500. Both are fighting to establish a winning record by the time the season ends. A 7-5 record is hardly a guarantee for either side. Given the heights these programs reached in previous years, that might come as a shock to the system for each of these fan bases.

Here are the Iowa State-Baylor College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Iowa State-Baylor Odds

Iowa State Cyclones: -2.5 (-120)

Baylor Bears: +2.5 (-102)

Over: 47.5 (-110)

Under: 47.5 (-110)

How To Watch Iowa State vs Baylor

Time: 3:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm PT

TV: Big 12 Network / ESPN Plus

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Iowa State Could Cover the Spread

Iowa State has a very good defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock, whose defenses have tested and frustrated some of the better offenses in the Big 12 Conference over the past several years. Heacock now goes against a Baylor offense which has struggled for most of the season. Baylor has had some injuries at quarterback, but they don't entirely explain or account for the meager level of production from the Bears' offense. Dave Aranda is an outstanding defensive coach, but he has neglected the offensive side of the ball and has to spend the offseason upgrading his personnel in the transfer portal. That help won't arrive this week. Heacock and the Iowa State defense should be able to keep the frail and impotent Baylor offense under wraps. Baylor has to survive the season without a real answer on offense; the Bears are not going to find an answer in this game or in the coming weeks. Baylor scored over 30 points against Cincinnati, but the Bears' point total was fueled by their defense and special teams. As long as Iowa State doesn't make huge mistakes on offense or special teams, its defense should win this game.

Why Baylor Could Cover the Spread

The Bears will see in Iowa State a team which is not that different. Iowa State has also scuffled on offense for a good portion of the season. The Cyclones have a solid defense but have endured painfully bad performances on offense this year, including and especially a shocking 10-7 loss to the Ohio Bobcats of the Mid-American Conference. If Iowa State can lose on the road to a MAC team, it can certainly lose on the road to Baylor, which very nearly defeated the Utah Utes — a top-25 team — earlier this season in Waco.

Final Iowa State-Baylor Prediction & Pick

These teams are simply not trustworthy. The middle of the Big 12 is hard to sort out. Don't think you can find the key difference between these teams. Maybe consider a live-betting play.

Final Iowa State-Baylor Prediction & Pick: Iowa State -2.5