UCF travels to play Iowa State on Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum with tip off at 6:00 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. Iowa State comes in 16-2 (3-2 Big 12), while UCF is 14-3 (3-2 Big 12). Last time out, Iowa State lost to Cincinnati and UCF came up short vs. No. 1 Arizona 84-77. As of Monday, the spread and over/under for total points has not yet been announced by any sportsbooks. We will update this prediction piece when it becomes available.
Top Storyline: Can Iowa State Bounce Back?
Iowa State started last week as the No. 2 team in the country, and then promptly went on to lose two games on the road against Kansas and Cincinnati. The Cyclones have struggled with slow starts this season, and they need to reverse that trend as soon as possible in a tough Big 12. UCF has been one of the surprises of the Big 12 this season, with a win over Kansas, and then playing Arizona tough on Saturday. Iowa State is back home, where Hilton Magic is real, but they’ll need more balance, a faster start, and get Joshua Jefferson back at the level he was playing at in non-conference play.
Top Match Up to Watch: Hitting the Glass
UCF has done a really good job on the boards, especially as of late. The Knights beat Arizona on the offensive glass on Saturday 14-9, and are ranked No. 4 in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds per game, behind only Houston, Baylor and Arizona. Iowa State has also been a solid team on the boards this season as well. Not as good as UCF, but ranked No. 6 in offense rebounds so far this season. However, in their loss to the Bearcats on Saturday, Iowa State was beat on the glass. Whoever wins this match up is going to have a huge leg up in winning the game.
Prediction: Iowa State 71, UCF 66
This feels like a game that is a grind-it-out, get-right game for the Cyclones back in front of the home crowd, where they are at their best. Tamin Lipsey and the Iowa State perimeter defense will slow down the UCF back court of Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel, who have led the way for the Knights, and the Cyclones defensive performance will slow down a UCF team that has been underrated throughout the season, but will be just a bit too overwhelmed in Ames on Tuesday night.
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