The Colorado Buffaloes and the Iowa State Cyclones continue Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Tuesday, Feb. 18th, 2025, in Ames, Iowa.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. central on ESPN+. Colorado (10-15, 1-13 in Big 12) is unranked, while Iowa State (20-5, 10-4) checks in at No. 8.
Tuesday’s matchup between Colorado and Iowa State is one that feels like a typical trap game in the Big 12. Iowa State is the superior team by a wide margin, but Colorado enters the game off their first win of the conference season. In a league like the Big 12 Conference, strange things can happen. That’s the goal for Colorado while the Cyclones attempt to avoid any strange outcomes.
Here is a preview of the game.
How to Watch Colorado vs. Iowa State
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN+
Site: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
Colorado vs. Iowa State Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Iowa State -17.5
Current Line: Iowa State -18.5
Over/Under: 142.5
Colorado vs. Iowa State Predictions
While Colorado had some nice wins in the non-conference schedule, which surprised many folks, they’ve been pretty awful in conference play. The team lost their first 13 games in league play before finally getting into the win column on Saturday with a 76-61 win over UCF. In the game, Tad Boyle’s squad received production from every active player, with all nine athletes getting into the scoring column.
With a deep bench that consists of nine athletes who see the court on a regular basis, Colorado likes to keep players fresh. Not one scholarship player is averaging more than 28 minutes per game because of this, which has hurt the individual scoring numbers for the program. Senior guard Julian Hammond III is the lone double-digit scorer for the team, averaging 13.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game.
For Iowa State, the team has corrected their midseason slump. They were able to bounce back from three straight losses to Arizona, Kansas State, and No. 16 Kansas, with back-to-back wins against UCF and Cincinnati. While Curtis Jones leads the team in scoring, one player to watch in the game will be sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic, who has been lethal since returning from injury. In his second season with the program, the Wisconsin native is averaging double-digit points and shooting a blistering 43.7% from three.
When looking at statistics, the biggest advantage comes when discussing Iowa State’s offense and Colorado’s defense. The Buffaloes enter Hilton Coliseum with the Big 12’s 13th-best defense and will attempt to slow down a high-flying Cyclone attack, responsible for more than 80 points per game, second-best in the league.
Iowa State 88, Colorado 61
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Iowa State (94.3% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark: Iowa State 84, Colorado 62
