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No. 3 Iowa State will look to extend its 25-game home winning streak Saturday as the Cyclones play host to No. 25 Baylor in a Big 12 showdown Saturday on CBS. ISU’s streak of home victories is the third-longest among teams in college basketball’s five major conferences and dates back to the 2022-23 season.
Extending the streak will require slowing down a Baylor team that began conference play with an authoritative 81-56 home win against Utah on Tuesday. The Bears are averaging 10 makes from 3-point range per game, which is 36th nationally, and they are doing it on a highly respectable 37.9% shooting.
Baylor’s top perimeter marksmen are guards Robert Wright III and Jayden Nunn, both of whom are shooting 45% or better from deep. But the Bears’ top offensive weapon is actually interior menace Norchad Omier, who is averaging 16.1 points and 10.9 rebounds after transferring in from Miami.
Iowa State has typically been known for its defense under fourth-year coach T.J. Otzelberger, and it is still strong on that end. However, the Cyclones have taken a major step offensively this season, scoring 75 or more points in all 12 of their games so far. Six players are averaging 10+ points per game for ISU, which ranks No. 7 nationally by averaging 87.7 points per game.
How to watch Baylor vs. Iowa State live
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
Location: Hilton Coliseum — Ames, Iowa
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Baylor vs. Iowa State prediction, picks
All odds via SportsLine consensus
Iowa Sate’s only loss is a 2-point defeat against a juggernaut Auburn team on a neutral floor. The Cyclones are operating on the sport’s top tier and will have the backing of an elite home-court advantage. Baylor is 0-2 in true road games this season and has been a bit shaky defensively in games against quality competition. That could be a problem against an Iowa State team that ranks among the top-10 nationally in points scored and offensive efficiency. The Bears have been a great 3-point shooting team, but keeping that up in a hostile environment against a good opponent may not be practical. Pick: Iowa State -8.5
Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks the past six years.
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