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A pair of Big 12 Conference powerhouses put their unbeaten records on the line when the top-ranked Baylor Bears take on the eighth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in the conference opener on New Year's Day. The Bears (12-0), who won the league title last season at 13-1 and were national champions with a 28-2 overall record, have stretched their winning streak to 18 games. The streak is tied for the fourth-longest by any team in the Big 12's 26-year history. The Cyclones (12-0), who finished 10th in the conference at 0-18 and were 2-22 overall in 2020-21, are playing their first top-10 matchup since defeating No. 7 Baylor 87-72 as a No. 9 team on Jan. 7, 2014.

Tipoff from the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, is set for 2 p.m. ET. Baylor leads the all-time series 22-20. The Bears are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Baylor vs. Iowa State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 133. Before locking in any Iowa State vs. Baylor picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Baylor vs. Iowa State, and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Iowa State vs. Baylor:

  • Baylor vs. Iowa State spread: Baylor -7.5
  • Baylor vs. Iowa State over-under: 133 points
  • Baylor vs. Iowa State money line: Baylor -350, Iowa State +280
  • BAY: The Bears are 5-0 against the spread in their last five Saturday games
  • ISU: The Cyclones are 6-0 ATS in their last six games against a team with a winning percentage above .600

Why Baylor can cover

The Bears like to start fast and are 86-5 when leading at halftime over the past five seasons, including a 24-0 mark last year. Baylor also boasts seven players averaging 8.5 points or better, led by sophomore guard L.J. Cryer, who averages 13.6 points, 2.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and one steal per game. He did not play in Baylor's win over Northwestern State because of a foot injury, but is expected back on Saturday. Cryer appeared in 20 games off the bench as a freshman, and has scored 136 points in 10 games, doubling last season's points total. This season, Cryer has reached 20 points or more four times and has scored 13 points or more in six games.

Freshman guard Kendall Brown is off to a fast start to his career, and is averaging 13 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Brown is third nationally in field-goal percentage at 71.4 percent, tops among freshman, and has 26 dunks on the season, five more than all of Baylor's opponents combined. Brown has scored 10 or more points and shot better than 60 percent in 11 of 12 games. He also has at least one steal in 10 games.

Why Iowa State can cover

The Cyclones are led by Penn State transfer guard Izaiah Brockington. The senior is averaging 16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 assists per game, and is 83 points from reaching 1,000 career points. He scored 29 points against Iowa, making 11 of 14 field goals, including his first nine attempts. He finished with a double-double, adding 10 rebounds. He had a season-high 30 points against Xavier, making 12 of 19 field goals, including four of six 3-pointers.

Also powering Iowa State is senior guard Gabe Kalscheur, a transfer from Minnesota. For the year, he is averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He has reached double-figures five times this season, including one 30-point effort in a win over Memphis. In that game, Kalscheur was 10 of 18 shooting, hitting three of five 3-pointers and 7 of 9 free throws. He also reached career highs in rebounds (8) and steals (5).

How to make Iowa State vs. Baylor picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 145 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in 70 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Baylor vs. Iowa State? And which side of the spread hits in 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.