#10 Iowa State vs. #1 Purdue Picks and Predictions: Can Cyclones Handle Mackey Arena?

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Trey Kaufman-Renn and Purdue host the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday at Mackey Arena - Purdue Iowa State Picks

The top ranked Purdue Boilermakers host the No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones at Mackey Arena early on Saturday afternoon. Two perfect teams meet, but only one will leave without a blemish to their record. Purdue chose not to compete in a multi team event during Feast Week, while Iowa State went 3-0 in the Players Era Festival, beating St. John’s, Creighton and Syracuse, but walked away without any prize money. That would piss me off and it showed in their last game, will they bring that same fire against the Boilermakers? Find out how our expert’s are betting this game with their picks below.

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#10 Iowa State Cyclones vs. #1 Purdue BoilermakersNCAA Basketball Insights

Milan Momcilovic and Iowa State play their first true road game this weekend - Iowa State Purdue Picks

Milan Momcilovic and Iowa State play their first true road game this weekend

The Cyclones are coming off putting up 132 points against the Alcorn State Braves after finishing up the Player’s Era Festival. This team has three top 55 wins and four if you extend it to top 75, so they’ve faced plenty of tough opponents. But, although they have left Ames and Hilton Coliseum, this will be their first true road game. And Mackey Arena is a hard place to win.

Plus, the Purdue Boilermakers are cruising. Despite just two top 20 victories, they beat Texas Tech on a neutral court and upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa. They are only 4-4 against the spread this year, but Matt Painter doesn’t care about spreads. Only wins. And they have covered in their last three straight and in both games that saw a single digit spread, showing us they get the job done during tough contests. Will they be able to cover another small spread at home against their toughest opponent this season?

Matchup Information – Iowa State vs. Purdue – December 6

  • Venue & Location: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, IN)
  • Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
  • Kick Off: 12:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: CBS

Iowa State vs. Purdue Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 5, 2025 at 7:26 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Iowa State +5 (-110)
  • Purdue -5 (-110)

Total

  • Over 150.5 (-110)
  • Under 150.5 (-110)

#10 Iowa State Cyclones vs. #1 Purdue Boilermakers NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Braden Smith and Purdue host the Cyclones this Saturday at Mackey Arena - Purdue Iowa State Picks

Braden Smith and Purdue host the Cyclones this Saturday at Mackey Arena

Iowa State vs. Purdue Prediction: Purdue Wins and Covers, Under 150.5

Best Bet: Purdue -5 (-110) BetOnline

As always, line shop, but I see Purdue handling business. The Boilermakers are one of the slowest teams in the country, but they are crazy efficient on offense. Purdue leads the nation in offensive efficiency, along with ranking top 30 in turnovers, top 15 in eFG% and top 10 in offensive rebounds. As a team, they shoot over 41% from beyond the arc, and are also top five in free throw rate defense. Despite not getting to the line very often themselves, they make up for it with sharp shooting and plenty of second chance points.

Iowa State will speed things up, and although they shoot even better from deep, the team ranks No. 245 in 3P rate. Will they let it fly more on the road? The Cyclones don’t get to the line that often but also take care of the ball and are very fundamentally sound. They come into this game ranking second in eFG%, top 40 in offensive boards, top 20 in turnovers and top 15 in overall offensive efficiency. Defensively, they will certainly give Purdue a run for their money, but I worry about the Cyclones front court.

Joshua Jefferson can’t do it all, and I could see him getting into early foul trouble matching up against Oscar Cluff, Trey Kaufman-Renn or even Daniel Jacobsen. Give me the hosts to control an entertaining game from start to finish, covering the spread with some late free throws.

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