CBE Hall of Fame Classic
Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO
Tip-off: Monday, 9:30 p.m. ET
Line: Iowa State -6.5, Total: 147

No. 13 Iowa State looks to remain undefeated on Monday night as it takes on unbeaten Alabama the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.

The Crimson Tide (2-1 ATS) are off to a nice start on the season, but they have not faced an opponent close to as talented as this Cyclones team. Alabama has lost its past six games against non-conference teams ranked in the Top 25, with its last victory coming against Michigan way back in 2009. While this is a neutral-court matchup, this game will definitely have a road feel for Alabama. Iowa State has played many games at the Sprint Center, most notably the Big 12 championship game last year, when it captured the conference tournament. Head coach Fred Hoiberg has developed a program at Iowa State (1-1 ATS) by bringing in transfers and jelling them with the other players on the team. Last season, the Cyclones did not lose out of conference, with only five of those 14 games being less decided than double digits. Both schools have notable betting trends here, as ISU is 16-6 ATS (73%) in the past three seasons when playing just its second game in an eight-day span, while Alabama is 5-0 ATS after forcing an opponent to commit eight or less turnovers in this same timeframe. There are no new injuries to either team, and the Cyclones will get back two players -- SF Abdel Nader and S Matt Thomas -- that just finished serving suspensions.

Which team will remain unbeaten after Monday's matchup? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 75% ATS mark (36-12) in Best Bets through Tuesday. All five experts are 60% ATS or better on Best Bets, led by StatFox Gary's astounding 9-1 ATS mark. StatFox Dave and StatFox Zach are 7-2 ATS, StatFox Scott is 7-3 ATS, and StatFox Brian is 6-4 ATS to open the season.

It is early in the season, but the Crimson Tide have been playing well, especially on the offensive side of the court. Alabama ranks 39th in the nation in scoring (81.3 PPG) and 44th in shooting (49.7 % FG). While they have shot the ball well, they need to improve on sharing the ball, ranking 159th in assists (13.0 APG). The defense is also playing well with allowing 65.0 PPG on a miniscule 40.1% FG (31% threes). SG Levi Randolph (19.0 PPG on 61% FG and 7.7 RPG) has been terrific to open this season. He also leads the team with 3.0 APG. Randolph has also been impressive in attacking the rim, and capitalizing from the free-throw line (20-of-20 FT). At 6-foot-5, he has very good size for opposing guards to contend with, as Randolph can rise over his defender. His improvement from the three-point line (43% threes), has made him even more difficult to guard. SG Ricky Tarrant (13.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG) and PF Shannon Hale (12.0 PPG, 54% FG, 6.0 RPG) have emerged as good scoring threats to complement Randolph. The offense should have some opportunities to score, but the defense will face its toughest task yet.

While the Crimson Tide have not shared the ball great this season, Iowa State is one of the best passing teams in the country. The Cyclones rank 9th in the nation in assists (20.5 APG), 23rd in scoring (87.0 PPG) and 40th in shooting (50% FG). Leading the way for Iowa State is SF Georges Niang (20.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG and 4.0 APG), who has developed into one of the best players in college basketball. At 6-foot-8, he is extremely difficult to guard, and spends a lot of his time on the outside, pulling the opponent’s post players out from the lane. That allows SG Bryce Dejean-Jones (17.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 5.5 APG) and PF Dustin Hogue (15.0 PPG, 73% FG, 5.5 RPG) to constantly attack the rim. Dejean-Jones, who last played for UNLV, is the latest transfer for Hoiberg that has thrived immediately upon joining the program. Known only as a scorer, he has done a great job early in the season distributing the basketball. Another thing that has made Iowa State such a tough team to beat is the ability to hit long-range shots, and PG Monte Morris (16.5 PPG, 67% threes, 6.0 APG) can shoot the ball with the bes of them. This is one of the most complete offensive teams in the country, and this game has the makings for a high-scoring affair.