The No. 13-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (18-7) head to Baylor to play the No. 25-ranked Bears (18-7) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Bears were blown out by Texas Tech 84-66 on Saturday. Taurean Prince was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 17 points. The Cyclones, meanwhile, are coming off an 85-75 win against Texas on Saturday. Monte Morris led the game in scoring by registering 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as Baylor ranks 21st in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.3), while Iowa State is 28th (114.2).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bears winning the first matchup 94-89. Johnathan Motley recorded a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds.
While the Bears have a good Straight Up (SU) record (18-7), they’ve been poor Against The Spread (ATS) with a 6-12-1 record. Baylor has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a superb .740. Teams have a tough time keeping Baylor off of the offensive glass. They rank 15th in Division I in offensive rebounds. Baylor is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.52.
Over on the other bench, the Cyclones head into the game with records of 12-9-1 ATS and 18-7 SU. Offensively, the Cyclones have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 82.3 points per game after averaging only 72.4 during that stretch. The Cyclones are shooting lights out so far, with a .502 field-goal percentage that ranks third in Division I. The Cyclones are an unselfish team with an average of 16.2 assists per game, ranking 32nd in Division I. Taking care of the basketball is something the Cyclones do very well, averaging just 11.4 turnovers per game.
Following the Bears’ latest win over Iowa State, they evened up the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 5-5 SU. With a 6-4 record, the Cyclones have the advantage ATS. Neither Baylor nor Iowa State has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Baylor
Notes
Baylor averages 78.1 points per game (ranked 56th). Iowa State, on the other hand, allows 73.8 points per game (ranked 183rd).
Baylor scores 80.8 points per home game (ranked 62nd). Iowa State ranks a poor 161st in points allowed on the road, allowing 75.6 points.
Baylor lost its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Iowa State is 6-0. Baylor is 6-3 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 28th, the Iowa State Cyclones have an offensive rating of 114.2. The Baylor Bears rank 132nd with a defensive rating of just 101.3.
Iowa State has an average field goal percentage of 50.2% (ranked third). Baylor is a losing 1-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Baylor is 99th and 53rd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Iowa State ranks eighth and third in these categories.
Baylor ranks among the best in the nation in assists at second (19.2 assists per game). Iowa State is ranked 32nd with 16.2 assists per game.
Baylor, the 92nd-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.0 rebounds per game. Iowa State does worse, ranked 155th with 36.8.
The Baylor Bears rank 16th in steals this season, with an average of 8.4 per game. When the Iowa State Cyclones allow at least 8 steals, they have a superb 5-1 record.
