For the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones, James H. Hilton Coliseum has proven to be the great equalizer against ranked Big 12 opponents. We'll see if their recent run of success holds up when they host the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday as 3.5-point favorites in the college basketball odds.
With both teams involved in a four-way tie for second in the Big 12, we'll see who moves above the crowd in the chase for the conference crown.
Read below for my free college basketball picks for Kansas vs. Iowa State on Saturday, January 27.
Kansas vs Iowa State best odds
Kansas vs Iowa State picks and predictions
The Kansas Jayhawks enter Saturday with wins in three of their last four overall. They escaped from Cincinnati with a 74-69 win, but failed to cover the eight-point spread.
The Jayhawks have struggled against top competition away from Allen Fieldhouse, having lost 11 of their last 13 road games (not including neutral site venues) to Top-25 teams. They're also just 1-2 on the road in Big 12 play this season, with losses to unranked UCF and West Virginia.
Still, there's a lot to like about this Kansas team. Defensively, they're limiting opponents to 67.7 points per game - which ranks just outside the Top 90 - while sitting 25th in field goal defense, holding schools to 39.8% shooting.
They lead the NCAA in assists at 20.8 per game and boast the fourth-best field-goal shooting mark at 50.8% while putting up 79.2 points per game (64th). But the Jayhawks will definitely be put to the test here, as the Iowa State Cyclones have reeled off four wins in their last five games while using a stifling defense to wear down opponents.
They're sixth in the nation allowing just 61.1 points per game, limiting teams to 39.6% shooting (21st). They allow the third-fewest field goal makes per contest at 20.3, and the fourth-fewest attempts at 51.2.
The Cyclones are also a perfect 12-0 at home, and have dropped six straight Top-25 Big 12 opponents. That includes a 68-53 thumping of Kansas in their final meeting last season. This year, Iowa State handed the Houston Cougars (then ranked No. 2) their first loss of the year in a 57-53 rock fight.
During this streak at home, they've held the opposition to 61.7 points, and a lowly 29.3% mark from 3-point range.
If college hoops could take the shape of a bar-room brawl, this might be it. Kansas and Iowa State have hit the Under in six straight meetings, and only one of those had a point total higher than Saturday's 141.5.
My best bet: Under 141.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Kansas vs Iowa State same-game parlay
Under 141.5
Kansas moneyline
Iowa State may be a home menace, but it's hard to overlook the fact that Kansas has dominated this matchup.
Save for that aforementioned loss at Iowa State on February 4, the Jayhawks have ripped off eight wins in the last nine matchups.
KU hasn't been great at covering the spread, though. Through the first four games of this streak, they were 4-0-0 against the spread, and just 2-3-0 since.
It will be four full off days between games for the Jayhawks before Saturday's biggie, which has given some of their go-to guys some much-needed in-season relief from nagging injuries. That includes big man Hunter Dickinson, who's averaging 18.1 points and 11.1 boards per game, and leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr, who is scoring 20 a night.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Kansas vs Iowa State spread and Over/Under analysis
This line has stayed pretty steady at 3.5 points, but some books have dropped this as low as 2.5 points as of Friday afternoon.
Kansas is not a great bet against the spread, covering just seven of their 18 games on the year. ISU is on the opposite end, going an impressive 12-6-1 ATS on the year.
There is a little more variance on the total, as it's gone as high as 144 points, with fluctuations down to a low of 141.5.
The Cyclones have hit the Over in 12 of their 19 games, while Kansas' Over/Under record is split at 9-9.
Kansas vs Iowa State betting trend to know
Kansas has hit the moneyline in 22 of its last 29 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Iowa State.
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Kansas vs Iowa State game info
| Location: | James H. Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA |
| Date: | Saturday, January 27, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 1:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | CBS |
Kansas vs Iowa State key injuries
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