Iowa State vs. Cincinnati, Picks and Prediction, Saturday, January 17, 2026

Iowa State (16-1, 3-1 Big 12) will be trying to avoid consecutive road losses when they visit Fifth Third Arena on Saturday afternoon to face Cincinnati (9-8, 1-3 Big 12) at 2 PM. ET. Read on to find out which team picks up the win in this Cyclones vs. Bearcats prediction. Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!

The Cyclones are coming off an 84-63 loss to Kansas as 3.5-point favorites. The Bearcats are coming off a 77-68 win over Colorado as 8.5-point favorites.

Iowa State is 4-2 in six games against Cincinnati.

Iowa State Trying To Bounce Back From Loss

The Cyclones had their 16-game winning streak snapped by Kansas in their last game, giving them their first loss of the season. They will try to bounce back from the loss and pick up their 17th win in 18 games when they play on Saturday.

Iowa State averages 86.5 points per game. They’ve made 51 percent of their field goals and 40.3 percent of their three-pointers.

Joshua Jefferson leads the Cyclones with 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Milan Momcilovic averages 17.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, while Tamin Lipsey averages 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Iowa State is giving up 64.2 points per game. Opponents have made 42 percent of their field goals and 32 percent of their three-pointers against them.

Injuries: Xzavion Mitchell (Undisclosed) and Eric Mulder (Undisclosed) are questionable for this game.

Cincinnati Going For Second Consecutive Win

The Bearcats snapped their three-game losing streak with a win over Colorado in their last game. They will try to keep the momentum going and pick up their second conference win when they play on Saturday.

Cincinnati averages 73.8 points per game. They’ve made 43 percent of their field goals and 31 percent of their three-pointers.

Baba Miller leads Cincinnati with 13.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Day Day Thomas averages 12.2 points and 3.9 assists per game, while Moustapha Thiam averages 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Cincinnati is giving up 65.9 points per game. Opponents have made 41 percent of their field goals and 32 percent of their three-pointers against them.

Injuries: Kerr Krisa (Shoulder) is questionable for this game.

Iowa State vs. Cincinnati Picks

Point Spread Pick for Iowa State vs. Cincinnati

• Iowa State Cyclones to cover. (4 Units)

The Cyclones have the edge in this game because they have one of the best offenses in the country, scoring more than 85 points per game, while making over 51 percent of their shots. They do a good job of finding the open man, and they rebound the ball well, grabbing more than 11 offensive rebounds per game on the road, which will give them more scoring chances. They also do a good job of protecting the ball and won’t give up a lot of easy-scoring chances. The Bearcats usually play well defensively, but they struggled in recent games, and they haven’t faced an offense as good as this, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Cyclones. Take Iowa State to cover the spread.

Over/Under Pick for Iowa State vs. Cincinnati

• Under (4 Units)

The Cyclones average 80.9 points per game on the road. They play at the 168th-fastest pace in the nation, averaging 71.6 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 61.9 points per game at home. The Bearcats average 73.8 points per game. They play at the 108th-fastest pace in the nation, averaging 73 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 69.7 points per game on the road. Don’t expect these teams to score enough points to push the score over the total. The Bearcats and Cyclones played under the total in three of their last four meetings.