Iowa State Cyclones vs Kansas Jayhawks Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/13/26

One of the games of the day on Tuesday will take place in Lawrence, Kansas between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks. Iowa State is one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the country at 16-0, and all but 2 of those wins were by double digits. Meanwhile, Kansas is just 11-5 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play thus far. The Jayhawks come into this contest off a loss at West Virginia in which they allowed the Mountaineers to score 1.29 points per possession, make over 42% of their three-point attempts and win the rebounding battle. Given Iowa State’s dominance thus far, the Cyclones are laying about 4 points on the road at the Phog despite being winless in Lawrence since February 2017. 

Pretty much all of the meetings between Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger and Kansas coach Bill Self have been low-scoring, and I expect that trend to continue on Tuesday. Both of these defenses are excellent at taking away transition opportunities, and while the Jayhawks have struggled defensively in conference play thus far, they bolster that elite transition denial with strong defense against cutters and mid-range shooters – some areas Iowa State loves to score. Kansas is also a strong shot-blocking team, which bodes well against Iowa State’s offense at the rim. 

Iowa State’s defense doesn’t need much recognition. If you follow the sport, you know how good the Cyclones have been. They are 2nd nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency, and they have held Big 12 opponents to a 44.7% effective field goal percentage – which ranks 2nd in the conference. In a battle between 2 very strong defenses, expect this game to be a grind. Take the under.

Iowa State vs Kansas prediction: Under 148.5 (-105) at the time of publishing. Playable to 146.5. 

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