Place Your Bets: Baylor at Iowa State (Feb. 24)

Baylor (16-10, 4-8) at Iowa State (13-14, 2-10)

Tue. Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. EST

Spread: Baylor -3

Backcourt Advantage: Baylor

This game is a clash of tempo. The Bears will try to push the ball up and down the court, while the Cyclones will be more methodical and try to work the ball inside in their halfcourt set.

Diante Garrett (9.7 PPG, 5.3 APG) will try to frustrate Baylor by slowing the game down, but the Bears know how to take care of the ball. They are an efficient team on offense and they do not commit a lot of turnovers.

Senior guard Curtis Jerrells (16.1 PPG) has been on fire lately, shooting a sizzling 50 percent (12-for-24) from behind the arc in his last four games. Unfortunately his hot hand hasn't translated into victories as Baylor is just 1-7 in its last eight. His supporting cast will need to step up to give him help as he won't be able to single-handedly shoot his team to a win on the road.

Frontcourt Advantage: Iowa State

Sophomore forward Craig Brackins (19.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG) has been a monster inside this season. He will try to continue his dominance against Baylor senior Kevin Rogers (12.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG). Rogers should be able to slow down Brackins just enough to let his teammates do most of the scoring on the offensive end.

Momentum: Even

Neither team comes into this game with any momentum. Iowa State is 1-9 in its last 10, while Baylor is 1-7 in its last eight. Baylor is also just 2-5 on the road this season, while Iowa State is 11-6 at home.

However, Baylor is still hopeful it can earn an NCAA tournament berth if it closes the season strong. That would end with a loss to Iowa State, so the Bears will be determined to keep those tournament hopes alive.

Shaun's Pick: Baylor -3