UCF vs Iowa State Prediction 1/20/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Central Florida Knights and the Iowa State Cyclones meet Tuesday in college basketball action from Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Here’s a Central Florida vs Iowa State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UCF vs Iowa State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

UCF Knights Betting Preview

The Knights got off to a really nice start this year. Central Florida recorded wins in 12 of their first 13 games, falling to only Vanderbilt back on November 8 in the second game of the season. UCF would then fall to Oklahoma State before rebounding with wins over Cincinnati and Kansas State in the next pair. The Knights would drop another one to Arizona over the weekend, giving the team a 14-3 run over their first 17 games.

In the Arizona matchup on Saturday Central Florida was in the locker room sitting on a 41-38 deficit. The Knights didn’t end up getting any closer, as they were outscored 43-39 the rest of the way and fell 84-77 in the end at home. UCF’s Themus Fulks had 30 points with eight assists and five rebounds in the defeat and Jordan Burks added 16 points with three boards. Riley Kugel chipped in 12 points as well.

Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview

Over on the Iowa State side, they posted wins over Fairleigh Dickinson, Grambling, Mississippi State, Stonehill, St. John’s, Creighton, Syracuse, Alcorn State, Purdue, Eastern Illinois, Long Beach State, Houston Christian, West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma State in their first 16 outings. The Cyclones have since lost to Kansas and Cincinnati though, giving the team a 16-2 record so far this year.
In the Saturday matchup versus Cincinnati, the Cyclones were down 35-31 going into the second half. Iowa State was outscored 44-39 from there, leading to another road loss in the end 79-70. Milan Momcilovic was tops on the team with 34 points and one rebound while Joshua Jefferson was the only other team player in double-digits with 16 points, nine boards and five assists.

UCF Knights @ Iowa State Cyclones Betting Trends: January 20, 2026

Why the Iowa State Cyclones will win

• Iowa State has won each of its last 13 games at James H. Hilton Coliseum against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• UCF has lost 13 of its last 14 games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
• UCF has lost the first half in four of its last five night games against the Big 12 Conference.

Why the UCF Knights will win

• UCF has won 13 of its last 15 games.

Central Florida vs Iowa State Prediction

I’ll stay with Iowa State, but this one’s a coin flip. The Cyclones weren’t at their best on the road versus Cincinnati this past weekend, shooting 43.1 percent from the field with 63 percent (17-of-27) from the line and a 37-29 rebounding deficit. The 12 turnovers didn’t help matters either. That gives Iowa State consecutive road losses to Kansas and the Bearcats. The Cyclones have failed to get past 70 points in either of those games, so they need a good showing at home on Tuesday in order to reestablish themselves.

As for Central Florida, they shot a tepid 40 percent from the field with a 36-28 deficit on points in the paint and 13 rebounds in their weekend home loss to a great Arizona team. The Knights are 2-2 in their last four games but they’ve scored 73 or more points in every outing this season. We should have a pretty good total here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Iowa State Cyclones -13.5