The UCF Knights (12-5, 3-3 Big 12) visit the Iowa State Cyclones (15-2, 5-1) in Ames Tuesday. Tip-off from Hilton Coliseum is at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the UCF vs. Iowa Stateodds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Central Florida played visiting No. 5 Houston tough in a 69-68 loss Saturday. The 13.5-point-underdog Knights led much of the way before being undone by a last-second shot. Against the spread (ATS), UCF is 3-0 over its last 3 games and 6-2 over its last 8.
The Cyclones also played Saturday, and they lost their first game since Nov. 25 when they were upset 64-57 at 6.5-point-underdog West Virginia. Iowa State — No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll — went just 1-for-17 from 3-point range in logging its lowest point total since Jan. 9, 2024.
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UCF at Iowa State odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:08 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: UCF +850 (bet $100 to win $850) | Iowa State -1600 (bet $1,600 to win $100)
- Against the spread: UCF +15.5 (-115) | Iowa State -15.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 152.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
UCF at Iowa State picks and predictions
Prediction
Iowa State 86, UCF 69
Moneyline
No interest. PASS.
Against the spread
Iowa State is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games at home.
The Cyclones have a highly efficient offense and one that can crank out a lot of points in second-chance looks and at the free-throw line. On defense, ISU excels in forcing suboptimal midrange efforts. Its a top-notch team that forces a lot of turnovers and does well to defend the perimeter.
Playing Houston and Iowa State in such quick order figures to be a tall task for the visitors in this one. In a high-volume matchup that figures to have a speedy churn of possessions, the ISU edge gets stretched by a few points. Pace-wise, this is a fast-on-fast matchup. In the last 6 weeks, the Cyclones have played 4 such games and gone 3-1 ATS. The lone ATS setback in that set of games was a Dec. 22 mismatch against Morgan State in which ISU was favored by 43.
Look for a bounce-back for the Cyclones: BACK IOWA STATE -15.5 (-105).
Over/Under
The last 5 UCF road games have cashed on the Over.
The mix here should yield above-average totals in free throws and put-backs and maybe in turnover-transition buckets. And all in a high-volume contest.
Its just a sliver of a lean, though, with the number assigned. Consider a partial-unit play on the OVER 152.5 (-115).
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