Iowa State vs Cincinnati Prediction, Preview & Betting Odds

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Feb 13, 2025 5:08 PM ET

Iowa State fell off the pace in the fight for the Big 12 regular season title, and at the same time, Cincinnati is bouncing back from the rough run into the NCAA Tournament picture again.

The Bearcats lost four straight and eight in ten, and then things turned with the O showing up in a three-game winning streak.

On the other side, Iowa State won two straight after dropping three in a row. There’s this, then Colorado, then the showdown at Houston.

Iowa State vs Cincinnati College Basketball Preview

Iowa State vs Cincinnati How To Watch

Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025
Game Time: 4:00 pm ET
How To Watch: ESPN2
Venue: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
Teams: Iowa State (19-5), Cincinnati (15-9)
Fiu Bluesky | CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB

Why Cincinnati Will Win

Well hello, offense.

It’s amazing what happens when the ball starts going through that hoop thing more. Cincinnati’s offense struggled in the Big 12 - it failed to get to 70 points in every conference game but one - and then it all kicked in with 93 going up against UCF, 84 against BYU, and 85 against Utah.

How is this working? The Bearcats are passing the ball better, the threes are dropping, and the team is playing with far more confidence, but …

Why Iowa State Will Win

The Iowa State defense should be able to hold down that Cincinnati offense a bit.

It’ll allow a few points, and the three point D hasn’t always been great, but this Cyclone team takes the ball away in bunches.

It forced 12 turnovers or more in every game but four, and the Bearcats should happy to oblige with plenty of mistakes. But that’s not how Iowa State will win …

Iowa State vs Cincinnati Who Will Win?

Free throws.

Iowa State averages close to 23 free throw attempts per game, and Cincinnati is 342nd in the nation attempting fewer than 15.

Cincinnati will play hard, but it’ll have to hit close to half of its shots to pull this off, and it won’t.

Iowa State vs Cincinnati Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Iowa State 76, Cincinnati 64
BetMGM Line: COMING
Caesars Line: COMING
FanDuel Line: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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