The Big 12 spotlight will be on Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night as the unbeaten Iowa State Cyclones (16-0) take on the Kansas Jayhawks (11-5) in a huge conference matchup in college basketball. The Cyclones are off to one of their best starts in program history and they will try to pick up another huge win against a Kansas team that has not played up to its usual standard this year. Here, I break down this big game in the Big 12 and give you my Iowa State vs Kansas prediction.
Our Iowa State vs Kansas Pick
Pick:
Iowa State -3.5 ATS PRO
Confidence:
3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Iowa State Cyclones @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 9:00 PM ET
Venue: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
Broadcast: ESPN
Key Storylines
Iowa State has maintained a perfect record at 16-0 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 action, marking the best start in the school’s history. The Cyclones are averaging an elite 88.3 points per game, thanks to balanced scoring from stars like Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic. The defense of the Cyclones is also elite, as they have given up just 62.9 points per game.
Kansas enters the contest at 11-5 and is 1-2 in conference play, having dropped its most recent outing at West Virginia. Jayhawk freshman Darryn Peterson leads Kansas offensively with an impressive scoring average in excess of 22 points per game despite battling leg issues. But the Jayhawks have struggled against top-tier competition so far this year and this will be their biggest test of the season so far.
Kansas boasts a strong historical home-court advantage at Allen Fieldhouse and playing there is always a daunting task for opponents in the Big 12. But Iowa State has proven that it can win anywhere against anyone and the Jayhawks will need more than just playing at home to get a win in this spot.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
Iowa State is 9-6-1 against the spread so far this season.
Kansas is 9-7 against the spread going into this contest.
The Cyclones are 8-8 in the over/under market for the season, with their elite defense and elite offense balancing each other out at times.
The under is 10-6 in games involving Kansas so far this season.
Kansas is 191-69 all-time against Iowa State, dominating the all-time series between these programs.
Iowa State vs Kansas Model Projection
Score Projection: Iowa State 78 – Kansas 70 ATS PRO
Win Probability: Iowa State 63%, Kansas 37% ATS PRO
Final Thoughts
I am going to lay the points with Iowa State as a favorite on the road in this contest. The Cyclones might be the best team in all of college basketball this season and they should pass a huge test at The Phog here. Look for the defense of the Cyclones to make life very difficult on the key players for the Jayhawks and for Iowa State to stay unbeaten this college basketball season.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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