Iowa State vs Kansas State Odds & Prediction: Bet the Home Underdog?

As Kansas State has continued to sputter down the stretch of Big 12 play, the pressure to perform has ramped up.

Head coach Jerome Tang called last week's game against Cincinnati an NCAA Tournament game in terms of the sense of urgency the Wildcats needed to play with.

Then, after losing that game, he compared the intensity required for Kansas State’s most recent visit to Allen Fieldhouse to a Sweet 16 game.

Although both games ultimately were losing efforts, I assume he’d say the intensity needed against Iowa State is equal to what’s needed in an Elite Eight game.

Iowa State has once again exceeded expectations under T.J. Otzelberger's leadership.

Despite underwhelming conjecture as to where they would finish in the Big 12 standings back in October, the Cyclones have a chance to share the Big 12 title with a win and a Houston loss on Saturday.

Otzelberger deserves a lion's share of the credit for Iowa State's successes. He has established an identity on the defensive end that travels throughout the country's toughest conference. The Cyclones enter Saturday with KenPom's second-ranked defense, trailing only conference foe Houston.

That type of defense not only travels but has contributed to one of the nation's top home-court advantages at Hilton Coliseum.

Otzelberger has made his case to be the National Coach of the Year, but players make plays.

Two players are primarily responsible for the majority of playmaking ability Iowa State has showcased throughout the year: Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert.

Lipsey is in his second year in Otzelberger's system and is the leader of the team as a sophomore. Lipsey won't wow you with his shot-making ability, but he does what's asked of him and always makes the right play. His poise and mentality make him a great on-court leader, especially in tough road environments like Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Gilbert has been just the type of defender and scoring option Otzelberger hoped he'd be once Gilbert committed to Iowa State after playing at UNLV the past two seasons.

As impressive as Iowa State's defense has been all season, it's been slightly more vulnerable on the road. Kansas State hopes the momentum generated by its home crowd will be enough to create some cracks in the Cyclones' sturdy wall of defense.

In reading the proverbial tea leaves, frustration has seemingly fully set in within the Kansas State program.

Tylor Perry scored the same amount of points as two separate Jayhawk walk-ons in Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night, and Cam Carter's shooting performances have taken a recent and consistent nosedive.

Even seemingly positive developments, such as Will McNair's improved scoring, have been quickly shot down by Tang's postgame comments.

Despite McNair’s 17-point outing against Kansas, Tang refuted any notion McNair’s performance should be commended. Specifically, Tang pointed out that his team managed only two offensive rebounds, seemingly pointing blame toward McNair for that lackluster effort.

So, where will Kansas State find the motivation to get up off the mat?

Perry was believed to be the direct replacement for Markquis Nowell and the magic he brought to Manhattan last season.

Perry transferred from North Texas, where he was a standout performer in the AAC and a terrific scorer and distributor for the Mean Green. Nowell set the bar extremely high after leading Kansas State to the Elite Eight last year, and despite his best efforts, Perry’s contributions haven’t quite lived up to the expectations fans may have had.

Keyontae Johnson’s impressive comeback from a scary health situation was also a major part of the March run for Tang’s squad last year.

To replace Johnson after his graduation, Tang brought in Arthur Kaluma from Creighton. Kaluma is not the same athlete as Johnson, but he was a major contributor to Creighton’s success in the Jays’ past two seasons. Kaluma will be a solid counter to Gilbert’s efforts on Saturday.

Still, for the Wildcats to potentially spoil Iowa State's late push for a share of the Big 12 title, they will need much more from Perry than the two points he gave his team Tuesday night in Lawrence.

Kansas State's season has been a disappointment. But if Tang's team takes on his identity despite that disappointment, they won't go down easily.

Iowa State struggled mightily at home against BYU in its most recent contest. Quite frankly, the Cyclones were lucky to hang on to preserve their perfect home record this season.

Although it certainly seems likely the better team will prevail again, I'm rolling with Kansas State to give one last inspired effort this season to pick up the cover.

Pick: Kansas State +4.5 (Play to +4)

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