Cincinnati vs. Iowa State Prediction, Odds & Score Picks: Big 12 Conference Second Round Best Bets

Mike Spector

Last Updated: March 12, 2025 7:24 AM EDT • 4 min 58 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Cincinnati vs. Iowa State Prediction, Odds & Score Picks: Big 12 Conference Second Round Best Bets — Pictured: Cincinnati Bearcats guard Dan Skillings Jr. dunks. Photo by William Purnell via Imagn Images.

After Cincinnati won its Big 12 Tournament opener yesterday, a matchup with No. 5 seed Iowa State awaits on Wednesday. Tipoff from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., is slated for 12:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).

My Cincinnati vs. Iowa State prediction, odds, and expert picks for the Big 12 Conference second-round matchup examine whether the Bearcats' performance yesterday hurt them or helped them against the well-rested Cyclones.

For the second day in a row I went 3-1 with my college basketball picks, including a 2-0 sweep of the Horizon League final, and am back to continue that momentum today.

💰 Cincinnati vs. Iowa State predictions, expert picks & best bets: Big 12 Conference Second Round

Here are my best Cincinnati vs. Iowa State predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for Big 12 Conference Second Round with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

Against the spread pick: Cincinnati +9 (-110 via Caesars) vs. Iowa State ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My best player prop bet: Jizzle James Under 1.5 made 3-pointers (-140 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐
Exact score prediction: Iowa State 70, Cincinnati 65 (+15000 via DraftKings) ⭐

👉 Check out our latest March Madness projections with our SBR Bracketology ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

🏀 Cincinnati vs. Iowa State ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on Cincinnati to cover the spread (+9) while targeting Jizzle James Under 1.5 made 3-pointers as my best player prop bet pick for today:

✅ Cincinnati to cover the spread (+9) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cincinnati won just one game against the top six teams in the Big 12 in the regular season, and Iowa State was not on that list. The Cyclones won the only regular-season meeting between these teams 81-70 at home on Feb. 15.

And while we might be getting too excited about a win over No. 12 seed Oklahoma State with this wager, beating Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz in a tournament setting is no small task. Cincinnati completely flipped the script against Oklahoma State after losing to the Cowboys 78-67 in the regular season finale.

The Bearcats scored 87 points largely because they got to the free throw line 20 times and forced 24 turnovers. That helped them average 1.13 points per possession despite shooting 26.1% from 3-point range. It is also an encouraging sign that Cincinnati easily covered the 6.5-point spread yesterday despite leading scorer Jizzle James being held to seven points on five shot attempts.

Caesars is my go-to shop among our best sports betting sites, as it is one of the only places where one can back the Bearcats at +9 instead of +8.5.

📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars (bet $10 to win $9.09)

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🔥 Jizzle James Under 1.5 made 3-pointers ⭐⭐⭐

It is fair to wonder just how healthy James is heading into this contest after he scored just seven points yesterday, which broke a 10-game streak scoring in double figures.

James scored 25 points in the regular season meeting against Iowa State, which tied his season-high. But oddsmakers still have the O/U for his points set at 14.5, lower than he's scored in eight of the last 11 games. He is only shooting 28.6% from 3-point range on the season and has made three of his last 20 attempts from downtown over the previous four games.

Thus, this is a three-star play, backing James to make one or zero 3-pointers for the fourth time in the last five games.

📊 Best odds: -140 via bet365 (bet $10 to win $7.14)

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🎯 Expert Cincinnati vs. Iowa State score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: Iowa State 70, Cincinnati 65

The Bearcats are 3-1 ATS against ranked opponents this season, and have covered the spread in six of nine games when they are at a rest disadvantage. I believe playing yesterday will help them, which is why I’m predicting a final score of Iowa State 70, Cincinnati 65.

📊 Best odds: +15000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1500)

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📊 Live Cincinnati vs. Iowa State odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for Cincinnati vs. Iowa State, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 Cincinnati vs. Iowa State opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for Cincinnati vs. Iowa State according to BetMGM.

Spread: Cincinnati +9.5 (-115) | Iowa State -9.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Cincinnati +310 | Iowa State -400
Over/Under: Over 135.5 (-110) | Under 135.5 (-110)

🏆 Who will win Cincinnati vs. Iowa State?

As of 6:20 a.m. ET, Iowa State is favored by 8.5 points to beat Cincinnati with moneyline odds of -400 at BetMGM, which suggests an 80% implied win probability for the Cyclones. We're predicting a 70-65 win for Iowa State as our final score projection.

So far, 60% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Cincinnati +8.5, while 67% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 135.5 points.

📺 How to watch Cincinnati vs. Iowa State today

📅 Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
🕗 Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ Cincinnati vs. Iowa State FAQs

Who's favored to win the Big 12 Conference tournament?

Houston is favored to win the Big 12 Conference tournament with -110 odds at DraftKings.

Who is favored to win Cincinnati vs. Iowa State?

Iowa State is favored to beat Cincinnati. The Cyclones are trading at -400 at our best sports betting apps, giving them an 80% implied win probability.

What are the betting odds for Cincinnati vs. Iowa State?

The latest spread is Iowa State -8.5 (-115) | Cincinnati +8.5 (-105), with a total ranging between 135.5 and 136 points (-110).

What will be the final score of Cincinnati vs. Iowa State?

We're predicting a final score of Iowa State 70, Cincinnati 65 entering today’s matchup at T-Mobile Center.

What time is Cincinnati vs. Iowa State tonight?

Tipoff for Cincinnati vs. Iowa State is slated for today at 12:30 p.m. ET.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

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Written By:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”