Hilton Coliseum - Ames, IA
Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Iowa State -10, Total: 138

Kansas State looks to remain in first place in the Big 12 on Tuesday night when it visits Ames to take on No. 9 Iowa State.

The Wildcats (9-6 ATS) were struggling in the non-conference part of the schedule, but Bruce Weber’s team has done a great job of responding in the start of Big 12, going 4-1 SU, which includes four straight conference wins (3-1 ATS). Weber has done a very good job of getting the team ready for the best teams on the schedule, leading Kansas State to 12-1 ATS record in the past two seasons versus top-level teams with a winning percentage of at least 80%. The Cyclones (8-5 ATS) are also playing well in the conference at 3-1 (SU and ATS), which includes an 86-81 win over Kansas on Saturday where they outshot the Jayhawks 51% FG to 43% FG. These schools faced each other three times last season, with Iowa State winning two of the three meetings SU, but covering only once. All these games were very even, with all three decided by seven points or less. In the matchup in Ames on Jan. 25, 2014, the Cyclones were able to hit 9-of-18 threes in an 81-75 victory, and then won a 91-85 shootout in the Big 12 Tournament. Iowa State also has a great head coach in Fred Hoiberg, who has led this program to a 17-3 ATS mark after a close win by six points or less. Neither team has any injury concerns for Tuesday's matchup.

Will Iowa State beat a quality Kansas State team by double-digits? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The experts have been heating up since Dec. 23, combining for a 58% ATS mark (58-42) in college basketball Best Bets. StatFox Gary is 65% ATS (13-7) during this timeframe to improve to 62% ATS (31-19) for the season. StatFox Brian is 69% ATS (11-5) in Best Bets since Dec. 28 to put him at 56% ATS (28-22) this season, while StatFox Zach is on a 58% ATS (7-5) Best Bets run since Jan. 1 and has a 54% ATS mark (27-23) this season. StatFox Scott is on a 65% ATS (13-7) Best Bets run since Dec. 23 and StatFox Dave is 60% ATS (6-4) in Best Bets since Jan. 6.

The Wildcats are starting to piece it together, as they picked up a quality 63-61 victory against then-No. 22 Baylor on Saturday. They enter this game ranked 77th in the nation in shooting (45.6% FG), 109th in assists (13.8 APG), 229th in scoring (65.6 PPG) and 306th in rebounding (31.6 RPG). Defensively this club allows only 62.4 PPG (84th in nation) on 44.1% FG and 34.2% threes. A big reason why the team is back on track is because SG Marcus Foster (13.6 PPG, 45% threes) is once again scoring in bunches. He has at least 11 points in all four of his team's consecutive wins, averaging 15.5 PPG (9-of-18 threes) during the win streak. Foster also averaged 17.3 PPG (7-of-16 threes) versus Iowa State last season. For Kansas State to compete in this game, it will have to get big performances from PF Thomas Gipson (11.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 60 % FG) and PF Nino Williams (10.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 51% FG). Iowa State is going to force the Wildcats to have to go small, so Gipson will have to play the center position a lot on Tuesday night. Another player to look out for is SG Justin Edwards (6.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 SPG), who has not been the player the school was expecting him to be. The Maine transfer is a tremendous athlete, but he has not been able to put it together on a consistent basis, and is shooting an anemic 38% FG and 22% threes this season. Against an Iowa State that is very tall on the perimeter, Edwards needs to provide the Wildcats with a big performance.

Iowa State has one of the best offenses in college basketball, and it all starts with the sharing of the basketball. The Cyclones lead the nation in assists (18.6 APG), which helps them rank 14th in shooting (49.0% FG), 16th in scoring (80.3 PPG). But they are a pedestrian 113th in rebounding (36.3 RPG), and don't defend that well with 66.9 PPG allowed (192nd in nation) on 40.9% FG and 32.1% threes. PF Georges Niang (14.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG) is the leader of this team, and he has the ability to spread Kansas State out. In Saturday's game against Kansas, he was able to get to the basket because the Jayhawks lack a true shot blocker, and the Wildcats are lacking in that department as well. Niang scored 18 points versus KSU in each of ISU's two wins last season, as he drained 8-of-13 shots in the Big 12 Tournament victory. SG Naz Long (13 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 43% threes), SG Bryce Dejean-Jones (12.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 52% FG), and SF Dustin Hogue (11.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 52% threes) are all capable of scoring in bunches, and they all had their moments in the game against the Jayhawks. Long poured in 20 points on 7-of-12 FG on Saturday, giving him 19.5 PPG in the past two contests. Another player who influenced the game on Saturday was 6-foot-9 PF Jameel McKay (9.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG), who was a monster on both ends of the court. The Jayhawks had just gotten back within striking distance, and McKay changed the game by blocking a shot at the rim, and then running down to finish for the dunk. The Marquette transfer is the energizer player on the team and is shooting an impressive 63.2% FG this season (24-of-38).