Iowa State Cyclones vs. Baylor Bears Picks, Prediction, Odds and Line Movement for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
It’s a conference tilt between foes from the Big 12 on the hardwood in the Lone Star State as the #3 Iowa State Cyclones take on the Baylor Bears Wednesday night and we have you covered with our Iowa State vs. Baylor prediction. Iowa State cruised to an 80-59 home win over West Virginia Friday night in their previous contest, covering the line as a 17.5-point favorite. Baylor fell 69-63 on the road at TCU in their previous contest Saturday afternoon, failing to cover the line as a 2.5-point underdog. In the all-time series between the schools, each team has recorded 25 wins with the Cyclones taking the last two, including a 74-55 home win in the most recent matchup, which came January 4, 2025. Read more about this Iowa State vs. Baylor prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
Sign Up for Winners and Whiners News Alerts, Get Free Picks and Discounts
Subscribe Now
Cyclones Seeking to Remain Unbeaten
Iowa State remained unbeaten on the year as they dropped the hammer on West Virginia in their previous contest Friday night. The Cyclones improved to 14-0 on the year overall and stand 1-0 in Big 12 play entering this contest. Against West Virginia, Iowa State trailed 9-4 three minutes into the game and took control of the game with a 12-2 run to break a 21-21 tie to go up 33-23 with 2:57 to play in the first half. The Cyclones led 41-28 at the half and by as many as 26 in the second half en route to the win. Iowa State shot 52.7% from the field, including 13 of 25 from three-point range, and won the rebounding battle 35-23 in the game. Milan Momcilovic led the Cyclones with 26 points in the win.
The Cyclones are an excellent offensive team as they average 89.6 points per game, putting them 20th on the season. Iowa State pulls down 36.6 boards a night (183rd) while dishing out an average of 19.4 assists (12th) per game on the year. The Cyclones are excellent on the defensive end, ranking 9th in the nation in scoring defense as they allow 62.6 points per contest. Milan Momcilovic is one of five players scoring in double figures with 18.5 points plus 3.1 rebounds per contest this season. Killyan Toure (10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists), Tamin Lipsey (14 points, 5.9 assists, 2.4 steals), Joshua Jefferson (17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists) and Blake Buchanan (10.2 points, 6.6 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Jamarion Batemon, Dominick Nelson, Nate Heise, Dominykas Pieta, Cade Kelderman and Eric Mulder all have to be on their game for the Cyclones. Iowa State is shooting 53.1% from the floor this season, which is 3rd in the nation. The Cyclones average 9.4 three-pointers a night while shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc, putting them 4th in the country. Iowa State is below average at the free throw line as they shoot 68.4% as a team on the year, putting them 297th in Division I.
Key Injury Report for Iowa State:
- No Key Injuries
Baylor Looking to Rebound at Home
Baylor saw their four-game win streak snapped as they were dumped on the road by TCU in their previous contest Saturday afternoon. The Bears fell to 10-3 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 action. They look to get back in the win column as they take the floor at home here. Against TCU, Baylor trailed by as many as eight in the first half and led by one before scoring just four points over the final 6:57 of the half to trail 29-23 at intermission. The Bears got no closer than three the rest of the way en route to the loss. Baylor shot 37.3% from the field, including five of 21 from beyond the arc, and lost the battle of the boards by a 43-34 margin in the game. Cameron Carr led the Bears with 17 points in the loss.
The Bears enter this contest 11th in the country in scoring offense as they pile up 93.1 points per game. Baylor is 35th in rebounding as they pull down 40.9 boards per contest and are 27th by dishing out 18.5 assists per game. The Bears are slightly below average defensively, ranking 213th in the country in scoring defense by allowing 74.5 points a night. Cameron Carr is one of six Baylor players in double figures with 21 points plus 5.5 rebounds per game on the year. Tounde Yessoufou (18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds), Dan Skillings Jr. (12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists), Obi Agbim (11.3 points), Isaac Williams Jr. (11.1 points) and Michael Rataj (10 points, 6.4 rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Caden Powell, James Nnaji, Will Kuykendall and Drew Perry are all guys that are looked at to contribute when they are on the floor. Baylor is hitting 51% of their attempts from the floor this season, putting them 20th in the nation. The Bears knock down an average of 8.6 three-pointers a night (131st in the nation) while hitting 37% of their attempts from beyond the arc, which is 52nd in the country. Baylor is above average at the free throw line, where they are converting 75.6% of their chances, putting them 64th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Baylor:
- No Key Injuries
Iowa State vs. Baylor Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tony Karpinski | +2,976.00 |
| 2 |  Joe Duffy | +2,595.00 |
| 3 |  The Insiders Room | +2,320.00 |
| 4 |  Mark Ruelle | +1,627.00 |
| 5 |  Jackie Mack | +1,451.00 |
Iowa State vs. Baylor Spread Pick
- Iowa State -5.5 (4 units)
Iowa State is one of the six remaining unbeaten teams in the country entering Tuesday night. This is a matchup of a pair of explosive offensive teams so that could make for entertaining action. Iowa State owns wins over St. John’s, Creighton and Syracuse on neutral floors this season. The Cyclones have played just one road game on the year but they demolished a Purdue squad currently ranked #4 in the KenPom rankings by 23 points December 6. Baylor is 8-0 at home but the best team they’ve beaten in Waco is a Washington team ranked 51st in the KenPom rankings on the year. Iowa State is the far superior team on the defensive end of the floor and that, along with their firepower, gives them the upper hand in this contest.
Iowa State vs. Baylor Over/Under Pick
- Over 158.5 (4 units)
Iowa State is an offensive force this season. The Cyclones are 7th in offensive efficiency, 20th in scoring offense, 3rd in effective field goal percentage (60.7%), 46th in turnover percentage (14.7%), 20th in offensive rebounding percentage (38.3%), 193rd in free throw rate (.353 FT attempts per FG attempt) and 3rd in field goal percentage this season. Iowa State stands 123rd in tempo with 69.6 possessions a night on the year. The Cyclones have gone over the total in eight of their 14 games on the season. Baylor is 97th in defensive efficiency, 87th in effective field goal percentage defense (48.5%), 206th in forced turnover percentage (16.8%) and 213th in scoring defense. The Bears are 113th in adjusted tempo with 69.8 possessions a night. Baylor has gone over the number in nine of their 12 games with a posted total this season. With a pair of high-octane offensive units, take the over in this contest.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Bet $5 & Get $200
