Iowa St vs Colorado Odds, Predictions & Player Props (Dec. 30)

• The #3 Iowa State Cyclones visit the Colorado Buffaloes in Big 12 action on Monday night
• The Cyclones crushed the Buffs (99-71) in Maui a month ago
• See the Iowa State vs Colorado odds, player props, and predictions for Dec. 30

The #3 Iowa State Cyclones (10-1, 1-0 away, 6-5 ATS) bring a seven-game win streak into Boulder on Monday night when they visit the Colorado Buffaloes (9-2, 8-0 home, 6-5 ATS), who are playing their first conference game as a member of the Big 12. Tip-off at CU Events Center is slated for 7:00 pm MT/9:00 pm ET, and the Cyclones are big road favorites in Monday’s college basketball odds.

Iowa State vs Colorado Odds

Iowa State is listed as an 8.5-point road favorite on Monday night and -455 on the moneyline. The Buffaloes come back as +333 home underdogs, despite going a perfect 8-0 on their home court so far this season.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Get Up To $1,500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets

21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (US). New customers only, subject to eligibility requirements. Not available in MS, NV, ON, or PR.

21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (US); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-981-0023 (PR). First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. See BetMGM.com for Terms. US promotional offers not available in MS, NY, NV, ON, or PR.

LOCK IN PROMO

CODE: SBD1500

CODE: SBD1500

SIGNUP BONUS

GET $1,500
BACK

BET NOW

Ironically, while this is CU’s first game in the Big 12, these teams already met earlier this year in Maui, which resulted in a dominant 99-71 win for the Cyclones.

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic (11.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG) was red-hot on that night, going 6-of-9 from three while scoring a game-high 24 points. Buffs leading scorer Julian Hammond (13.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.5 APG) had a team-high 20 in a losing effort.

Coming off a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Colorado lost its three leading scorers from last season (KJ Simpson, Tristan da Silva, and Cody Williams) to the pros, while their fourth and fifth-leading scorers (J’Vonne Hadley and Eddie Lampkin Jr) both transferred.

While Colorado has one quality victory over UConn (73-72, also in Maui) on its early-season resume, it’s trio of games at that tournament (where they also lost to Michigan State, 72-56) are there only ones this season against top-100 KenPom teams. As such, while their 9-2 overall record (and 8-0 home record) look nice on the surface, they have basically treaded water in the metrics. They opened the year 79th at KenPom and currently sit 78th. They’ve made a bigger jump at Torvik, going from 107 to 88 over their first 11 games.

ISU vs COLO Player Props

Player props as of Dec. 30 at FanDuel. Check out SBD’s list of betting apps that accept Venmo.

The Iowa State vs Colorado aren’t extensive but there are a few to choose from. Keshon Gilbert (16.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.2 APG) has the highest point total of the night at just 15.5. Gilbert is also the only player with an assist total, listed at 4.5 O/U.

Hammond leads the Buffs players with a point total of 13.5.

Iowa State vs Colorado Prediction

Iowa State has made a huge leap offensively this season, despite having basically the same roster that finished just 52nd in offensive efficiency last year. They currently rank third out of 364 DI teams in offensive efficiency this season, and though their defense has dipped (falling from #1 last season to #14 this season), they still have all the length and athleticism that allowed them to stifle opponents on a nightly basis last year.

That said, Colorado has shown a decent amount of resilience amid all the turnover. Since losing to ISU in Maui, the Buffs have won four straight – all at home – by nine or more points. That includes a 72-55 drubbing of rival Colorado State.

Tad Boyle’s team is improving and the win over UConn shows their fairly high ceiling. Colorado is catching as many as 9.5 points tonight and that’s too many for me to pass up.

• ISU vs COLO pick: Colorado +9.5 (-110) at FanDuel

Sascha Paruk’s 2024-25 NCAAM betting record: 10-7 (+2.54 units). All wagers one unit unless expressly stated otherwise.