Big 12 rivals will square off Tuesday night as the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones (17-9, 8-6) take on the No. 8 Texas Longhorns (21-6, 10-4). The Longhorns will host this one at the Moody Center, with tipoff scheduled for 9:00 pm ET.
Texas is the favorite in this one playing at home. They are -315 to win, while the Cyclones’ moneyline sits at +250. The spread features Iowa State as 7.5-point underdogs (-115), and the over/under for total points is 136.5.
Cyclones Hope To Improve On The Road
At 17-9, it has been a great season for Iowa State as a whole. Unfortunately, their play on the road has left something to be desired. While they are 13-1 at home, they are just 2-7 on the road.
They come into this one off the heels of a 61-55 road loss to No. 14 Kansas State, and they now have to try to bounce back against an even tougher Longhorns team in Texas.
Offensively, the Cyclones rank just 210th, averaging 69.5 points per game (64.6 on the road). They are led by senior guard Jaren Holmes, who is averaging 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
On the defensive side, the Cyclones rank 12th in the nation, allowing opponents an average of just 61.6 points per game (69.6 on the road).
Longhorns Look To Stay Dominant At Home
The Longhorns love playing at the Moody Center. To date, they are 15-1 at home, and that is part of the reason why they are tied with the Kansas Jayhawks atop the Big 12 standings. With a matchup against Kansas at the end of the regular season, every conference win is crucial for the Longhorns.
Offensively, Texas ranks 19th in the nation in scoring, averaging 79.7 points per game (86.3 at home). Senior guard Marcus Score is their standout offensive threat. He is averaging 17.1 points, three rebounds, and four assists per game.
Other major contributors include Sir’Jabari Rice (12 points, 3.5 rebounds), Timmy Allen (11 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists), and Tyrese Hunter (9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists).
The Longhorns rank 134th in the country in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 68.9 points per game.
Take Cyclones To Cover
Looking at the trends, the Cyclones are 2-7 against the spread in their last nine games, and they are just 2-5 straight up in their last seven. In their last 13 games against the Longhorns, Iowa State is just 4-9.
For Texas, they are 15-5 in their last 20 games, and they are 6-0 in their last six home games. In their last eight games against Iowa State, the OVER has hit on seven of them.
This one is a tough one to call. The Longhorns are clearly the best team in this one, especially playing at home. With that said, 7.5 points is a lot to lay against a decent Cyclones team.
With wins against No. 3 Kansas, No. 24 TCU, and No. 14 Kansas State, the Cyclones have shown they can run with the best in the nation. The Cyclones have also shown they can take down the Longhorns as they won 78-67 at home versus Texas back on January 17.
The Longhorns might get the win here, but take the Cyclones and the 7.5 points to cover (-115).
