The Colorado Buffaloes take on the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Iowa State is favored by 17.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2800. The total is set at 153.5 points.
Here’s my Colorado vs. Iowa State prediction and college basketball picks for January 29, 2026.
Colorado vs Iowa State Prediction
My Pick: Iowa State -17.5 | Iowa State 1H ATS
My Colorado vs Iowa State best bet is on the Cyclones to cover both the first-half spread and full-game spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Colorado vs. Iowa State Odds
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | +1300 |
| Iowa State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 153.5 -110 / -110 | -2800 |
- Colorado vs Iowa State spread: Iowa State -17.5
- Colorado vs Iowa State over/under: 153.5 points
- Colorado vs Iowa State moneyline: Colorado +1300, Iowa State -2800
Colorado vs Iowa State College Basketball Betting Preview
Colorado Basketball
Colorado enters Thursday night’s Big 12 showdown with a 12-8 overall record.
Head coach Tad Boyle is in his 16th season at the helm and has completely transformed a Colorado program that had just two NCAA Tournament appearances since 1970 prior to his arrival in Boulder.
Boyle seeks a seventh NCAA Tournament bid in 2026 and has a very uphill battle ahead of him, with his Buffaloes having dropped five consecutive games in conference play.
If Boyle’s bunch is to reverse its fortune and get hot over the last six weeks of the regular season, it all starts with a perfect opportunity on Thursday night in a true road game against one of the best teams in the country in Iowa State.
The Colorado offense is led by 6-foot-1 freshman guard Isaiah Johnson, whose 16 points per game lead the team. Johnson wasn't a very highly touted prospect coming out of high school and has been a very pleasant surprise for the Buffs.
Alongside Johnson in the Buffaloes' backcourt is junior point guard Barrington Hargress. The former UC Riverside Highlander is posting over 14 points per game in the first 20 games of his 2026 campaign. Hargress is also dishing nearly five assists per game.
Colorado’s frontcourt has also been great on the offensive end of the floor, with two seven-footers averaging double-figure scoring efforts.
While junior forward Bangor Dak and Slovakian sophomore Sebastian Rancik have both been pretty consistent finding the bottom of the net, they've been very disappointing when it comes to crashing the glass.
For two legit seven-foot frames, their seven and five rebounds per game, respectively, are largely unimpressive.
Colorado has been pretty solid on the offensive end of the floor, ranking in the top 60 in college basketball in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The same can't be said on the defensive end, as the Buffaloes just barely rank inside the top 150 in defensive efficiency.
Iowa State Basketball
In his fifth season at the helm, head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks to lead his Cyclones to a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament and appears well on his way to doing so, posting an 18-2 overall record over their first 20 games of the season.
After winning its first 16 games of the season, Iowa State hit a bit of a speed bump with consecutive road defeats in Big 12 play against Kansas and Cincinnati.
Fortunately for Iowa State, it got back on track this past week, clobbering UCF in a dominant 30-point victory, while also defeating Oklahoma State by double digits on the road.
Leading Otzelberger’s bunch in scoring is 6-foot-10 junior Milan Momcilovic, who's averaging just under 19 points per game.
Alongside Momcilovic in the Cyclones' frontcourt is Joshua Jefferson. In his second season in Ames, the 6-foot-9 junior is posting over 17 points per game, along with eight rebounds.
Both of Iowa State’s bigs are exceptional two-way players, leading a Cyclones defense that ranks sixth in college basketball in defensive efficiency, according to Haslmetrics.
The heart of Iowa State’s offense is senior point guard Tamin Lipsey, who's been stellar in his final season. The 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 13 points per game, in addition to four rebounds and over five assists.
While Otzelberger's defensive schematics have made him one of the best coaches in the sport, his offense is thriving, averaging over 86 points per game in its first 20 contests.
The Cyclones boast an average winning margin of over 22 points and are converting on over 50% of their field goal attempts thus far.
This may be the most complete Iowa State team in the Otzelberger era, and it's surely “Final Four or bust” for this squad.
Colorado vs. Iowa State Betting Analysis
These two Big 12 foes are heading in opposite directions, as the Buffaloes carry a five-game skid into their toughest matchup of the season thus far.
Colorado has really struggled defensively — especially on the perimeter — and that's bad news when you're facing an Iowa State team that's shooting over 40% from beyond the arc.
I expect the Cyclones to keep rolling as they look to improve their resume on a quest for a top-two seed in the Big Dance. This Big 12 battle should be all Cyclones for 40 minutes.
I'll be looking to back Iowa State to cover both its first-half and full-game spread.
My Pick: Iowa State -17.5 | Iowa State 1H ATS
