Iowa State vs. Cincinnati Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Tuesday, Feb. 13 (Take the Under)
Cincinnati couldn’t build up its NCAA Tournament resume over the weekend, letting an upset bid of No. 5 Houston slip through its fingers in a 67-62 loss at home. Luckily for the Bearcats, the Big 12 offers new challenges nightly and they have another chance at a ranked victory when No. 10 Iowa State comes to town on Tuesday.
Iowa State has quality wins over Houston and Kansas on its resume and are coming off wins over Texas and TCU after losing to Baylor by a bucket on the road. Iowa State had five straight Big 12 games decided by single digits before pulling away from TCU on Saturday, 71-59.
UC is a short favorite at home in what would be a big win for its March Madness hopes. Here’s the betting preview for Tuesday’s conference clash with a best bet.
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Iowa State vs. Cincinnati odds, spread and total
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati betting trends
- Iowa State is 16-7 ATS this season
- Cincinnati is 12-11 ATS this season
- Iowa State is 4-2 ATS as an underdog this season
- Cincinnati is 7-10 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 13-10 in Iowa State games this season
- The OVER is 11-12 in Cincinnati games this season
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati how to watch
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 13
- Game time: 7 p.m. EST
- Venue: Fifth Third Arena
- How to watch (TV): ESPN2
- Iowa State record: 18-5 (7-3 Big 12)
- Cincinnati record: 15-8 (4-6 Big 12)
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati key players to watch
Iowa State
Keshon Gilbert: The UNLV transfer is Iowa State’s leading scorer at 13.9 points per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. He’s one of five Cyclones pulling down at least 4.3 rebounds per game and is second on the team in assists. The 6-foot-4 junior has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games and is coming off a 13-point, 7-assist performance in Saturday’s win over TCU.
Cincinnati
John Newman III: The 6-foot-5 senior forward is averaging 10 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and shooting 51.5% from the field. Newman has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games and shot over 50% in all seven since being held to 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in a Jan. 13 loss to Baylor. He’s coming off a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in Saturday’s close loss to Houston.
Iowa State vs. Cincinnati prediction and pick
It shouldn’t shock bettors to see Cincinnati as a short favorite given the Bearcats’ ability to hang with every team. All six of Cincinnati’s Big 12 losses this year have been by five points or less and the Bearcats are one of the unluckiest teams in KenPom (No. 341).
Typical with Big 12 teams, these two squads are led by its defense. In fact, Iowa State is No. 3 in KenPom and are No. 2 in the nation in turnover and steal percentage. The Cyclones feast off takeaways and UC’s offense is No. 150 in steal percentage and No. 131 overall in protecting the rock. One of the only things Iowa State’s defense doesn’t do well is defend the perimeter, where they rank No. 172 against 3-point shots. That shouldn’t hurt the Cyclones as UC is No. 228 in the nation in shooting from downtown and ninth in the Big 12 in scoring.
On the other side, UC’s defense is top-20 in KenPom and both teams are top-40 in defending shots from inside the arc. Iowa State’s offense is fourth in the Big 12 in scoring (79 points per game) but relies heavily on drives to the rim. Iowa State shoots only 18.8 triples per game (12th in the Big 12) and that plays to UC’s strength as a defense with great rim protection. In a high-stakes conference matchup, trust the defenses and go with under.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.