NCAAB Odds, Pick for Iowa State vs Cincinnati

Two of the best defensive teams in the country square off on Tuesday night as Iowa State heads north to take on Cincinnati.

The Cyclones are firmly in the mix for the Big 12 regular-season title, while the Bearcats are glued to the bubble and would love a win over a top-10 team.

This line opened as a PK as this game should be an extremely tight battle between two physical teams.

Many in the media thought Iowa State would be a solid team entering the season, but nobody thought the Cyclones would be this good.

The Cyclones are every bit the part of a top-10 team, and are in the driver's seat of the Big 12 race given their win over Houston.

T.J. Otzelberger's teams have always played elite defense, but this year's edition can also flat out score.

Tamin Lipsey is playing as well as any point guard in the conference and has completely opened up the ISU offense.

Lipsey can shoot it from deep, distribute, attack the rim and finish through contact.

Robert Jones and Tre King are absolute beasts inside, whether that's grabbing offensive rebounds or altering opponents' shots at the rim.

Cincinnati struggled to keep Houston off of the offensive glass on Saturday, and that will likely be an issue again on Tuesday as the Cyclones really attack their missed shots.

It's been a roller coaster of a season for Wes Miller's team in their first year in the Power Five.

Cincinnati has let a few very close home games against Texas, Oklahoma and Houston slip away. As a result, the Bearcats really need to cash against the Cyclones on Tuesday night.

The Bearcats offense continues to hold it back. Cincinnati doesn't have many shot makers on the perimeter and has been somewhat loose with the ball.

There are very few teams in the country better at turning opponents over than Iowa State, which makes this matchup dicey for a mediocre offense.

Defensively, Cincinnati continues to be strong. The Bearcats will need to continue to guard well and slow down Iowa State if they want to have a chance to win this game.

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The Bearcats exerted a ton of energy while trying to upset Houston on Saturday.

It was a valiant effort, but they came up just short.

I believe that lends itself to a letdown spot against a team that plays similarly to the Cougars.

The Cyclones will make it very difficult for Cincinnati to score in the half-court, and will limit the Bearcats to one shot per trip.

Ultimately, Iowa State is just a little bit better than Cincinnati across the board. The Cyclones should have plenty of motivation to secure the win and remain atop the Big 12 standings.

Bet Iowa State to get the victory. I'd back them up to -1.5.

Pick: Iowa State PK