Iowa State vs. Texas Tech prediction, pick, odds, spread: No. 16 Red Raiders face surging No. 4 Cyclones
Iowa State faces Texas Tech on Saturday in a clash of top 25 teams
No. 16 Texas Tech travels to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday to face No. 4 Iowa State on CBS. It will be the 47th all-time meeting between the Big 12 rivals, with Iowa State holding a 24-22 edge. This is the teams' only regular-season matchup, though they could meet again in next month's Big 12 Tournament.
Iowa State is coming off a win over Utah and has won eight of its past 10 games. The Cyclones enter the weekend in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings along with Houston, Texas Tech and Kansas -- all of which are two games behind Arizona.
Texas Tech continues to adjust without star forward JT Toppin, who tore his ACL earlier this month against Arizona State. Toppin was a potential National Player of the Year candidate before the season-ending injury. The Red Raiders are 2-0 since then, with wins over Kansas State and Cincinnati.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Texas Tech and Iowa State this weekend.
Iowa State vs. Texas Tech: Need to know
Iowa State dominant at home: Iowa State has been nearly unbeatable at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones are 15-0 at home this season and are the only Big 12 team without a loss on their home floor. Their last home defeat came March 4, 2025, against BYU -- nearly a calendar year ago. Iowa State is 48-2 at home over the past three seasons.
Can Texas Tech pull the upset without Toppin? Losing a player of Toppin's caliber lowered Texas Tech's ceiling. Still, the Red Raiders' gritty style makes them a difficult matchup in March. It helps that Christian Anderson has emerged as an All-American-level performer. He will need to carry much of the offensive load down the stretch if Texas Tech hopes to spring the upset.
Big 12 title race implications: The winner will remain in contention for a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and gain a valuable boost in conference tournament seeding. At minimum, the winner could position itself for the No. 2 seed. The top four teams in the standings receive a double-bye in the Big 12 Tournament. Iowa State closes the regular season against Arizona and Arizona State, while Texas Tech faces TCU and BYU.
Where to watch Iowa State vs. Texas Tech live
Date: Saturday, Feb. 28 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Hilton Coliseum -- Ames, Iowa
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
Iowa State vs. Texas Tech prediction, pick
Iowa State has a unique home court advantage. The Cyclones have quite literally been unbeatable inside Hilton Coliseum this season. I don't expect that to change on Saturday. If Texas Tech still had Toppin in the line, I would lean the Red Raiders covering the spread. However, that is not the case. I expect Iowa State to win by double digits on Saturday. Pick: Iowa State -7
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