Kansas at Iowa State Prediction, Picks and Best Bets

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds to find the best bets and player props for Kansas at Iowa State, which tips at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Kansas vs. Iowa State Prediction, Picks

Iowa State -6.5 (-110)

I'm bullish on Iowa State this season, picking them as one of my favorite college basketball national championship bets, and I like them to cover at home versus Kansas.

The first time these two met, the Jayhawks dominated the Cyclones en route to a 21-point win in Lawrence. I wouldn't put too much stock into that game as Kansas flat-out played amazing, especially in terms of shooting as KU nailed 50.0% of the three-pointers. Iowa State couldn't buy a bucket, making just 39.5% of their two-point tries.

I think things go a little differently this time around.

Iowa State should have an edge on the boards. For the season, the Cyclones own a 55.1% rebound rate, the 16th-best mark in the nation. Kansas, meanwhile, sits just 114th in rebound rate.

Another thing that gives me faith in ISU is that they -- as much as maybe any squad in the country -- have some long, capable defenders to send at Darryn Peterson. In that first meeting in Lawrence, Peterson struggled, hitting just six of 15 shots.

I also think Iowa State is the more desperate team. The Cyclones are coming off a blah showing in a loss at TCU while Kansas just knocked off No. 1 Arizona.

Joshua Jefferson Over 7.5 Rebounds (-146)

Joshua Jefferson should have a big role to play in this game, and I'm backing him to snag at least eight boards.

Jefferson is averaging 7.7 rebounds per game on the season. He's pulled down at least eight rebounds in three of the last four games, and he's played at least 34 minutes in each of those four outings.

Despite the blowout loss at Kansas in the first matchup, Jefferson still finished with eight rebounds.

As mentioned above, Iowa State's edge on the glass could be one of the keys in this game, and Jefferson -- the Cyclones' leading rebounder -- can do work on the boards in this Big 12 showdown.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.