The No. 5 Houston Cougars (22-4, 14-1 Big 12) will try to take another step towards a conference championship when they host the short-handed No. 8 Iowa State Cyclones (21-5, 11-4) on Saturday afternoon. Houston has won five consecutive games, including an 80-65 win at Arizona State earlier this week. Iowa State is riding a four-game winning streak and is coming off a 79-65 win over Colorado on Tuesday, but it will be without its top two scorers on Saturday. The Cougars are two games ahead of No. 19 Arizona for first place in the Big 12 standings, while the Cyclones are one game back of Arizona in third place.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Fertitta Center in Houston. Houston is favored by 12.5 points in the latest Iowa State vs. Houston odds, while the over/under is 130.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Houston vs. Iowa State picks, you’ll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 16 of the 2024-25 season on a 213-158 betting roll (+1675) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston-Iowa State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Houston vs. Iowa State spread: Houston -12.5
- Houston vs. Iowa State over/under: 130.5 points
- Houston vs. Iowa State money line: Houston -877, Iowa State +583
- Houston vs. Iowa State picks: See picks here
- Houston vs. Iowa State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Houston can cover
Houston has picked up three road wins during its current five-game winning streak, taking firm control atop the Big 12 standings. The Cougars have only lost one game in league play, falling to then-No. 22 Texas Tech in overtime on Feb. 1. They covered the spread as 2.5-point road favorites in their 62-58 win at then-No. 13 Arizona last Saturday before covering as 11.5-point road favorites in their 80-65 win at Arizona State on Tuesday.
Senior guard L.J. Cryer had 18 points, six assists and four rebounds against the Sun Devils, shooting 6 of 13 from the floor. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp added 17 points, while senior forward J’Wan Roberts chipped in 10 points and six rebounds. Houston has covered the spread in 11 of its last 16 games, and Iowa State has only covered twice in its last seven games. See which team to pick here.
Why Iowa State can cover
Iowa State is riding a four-game winning streak and sits in third place in the Big 12, and it needs a win on Saturday to stay alive for a regular-season title. The Cyclones have won all four games during their hot streak by double digits, including a 79-65 win over Colorado on Tuesday. Five players finished in double figures for Iowa State in that game, led by Milan Momcilovic and Dishon Jackson with 13 apiece.
The Cyclones use an eight-man rotation that features five players scoring in double figures. Curtis Jones leads the way with 17.2 points per game, while Keshon Gilbert is the second-leading scorer with 14.1 points per game. However, Jones has been ruled out due to an illness, and Gilbert is out due to a muscle strain. Joshua Jefferson is averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds, and Iowa State is unbeaten against the spread in its last five games against Houston. See which team to pick here.
How to make Houston vs. Iowa State picks
The model has simulated Iowa State vs. Houston 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Iowa State, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Iowa State vs. Houston spread you need to jump on, all from the model on an 213-158 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
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