In a Week 2 slate lacking marquee matchups, Iowa vs Iowa State is the headliner game at noon ET on FOX. SBR's Matt Jacob breaks down the action in his Iowa vs Iowa State prediction:
ATS Pick: Iowa +3.5 (Caesars)
Best Bet: Under 41.5 (-108 DraftKings)
"How low can they go? That’s been the theme of the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry in recent years. In fact, the victor has scored more than 20 points just once in the six head-to-head battles, that being Iowa’s 27-17 road victory in 2021 - the only matchup since 2018 to clear 40 combined points.
Granted, the Over cashed last year, but the closing total was 36.5 - and it took a 54-yard field goal at the gun for Iowa State to escape with a 20-19 win. Had that high-stakes boot been off target, this rivalry would be on a 6-0 Under roll.
Even still, the Under is 15-4-1 in Iowa-Iowa State battles since 2004. That includes a dozen contests that failed to top 40 points (including the last three in a row).
What about the fact that Iowa opened with a 34-7 win last week and Iowa State put up 55 in its home opener? Who cares - its respective opponents were Albany and South Dakota."
Best Player Prop: Mark Gronowski Under 0.5 TD passes (+130 BetMGM)
"It should be pretty easy for the starting quarterback of a major college football program to throw one TD pass in a game, right? Not if that quarterback wears an Iowa uniform and is facing Iowa State.
Get this: The Hawkeyes have completed just one touchdown pass in their last six meetings against the Cyclones - and none in the last three years.
I highly doubt Iowa transfer Mark Gronowski, who has thrown just 51 passes in college, will add to that total Saturday in Ames, Iowa. So we’ll take the +130 odds that BetMGM is offering on Gronowski not to throw a scoring pass."
Iowa vs Iowa State odds:
Who comes out on top in the 'Cy-Hawk' battle? Share your picks below.
ATS Pick: Iowa +3.5 (Caesars)
Best Bet: Under 41.5 (-108 DraftKings)
"How low can they go? That’s been the theme of the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry in recent years. In fact, the victor has scored more than 20 points just once in the six head-to-head battles, that being Iowa’s 27-17 road victory in 2021 - the only matchup since 2018 to clear 40 combined points.
Granted, the Over cashed last year, but the closing total was 36.5 - and it took a 54-yard field goal at the gun for Iowa State to escape with a 20-19 win. Had that high-stakes boot been off target, this rivalry would be on a 6-0 Under roll.
Even still, the Under is 15-4-1 in Iowa-Iowa State battles since 2004. That includes a dozen contests that failed to top 40 points (including the last three in a row).
What about the fact that Iowa opened with a 34-7 win last week and Iowa State put up 55 in its home opener? Who cares - its respective opponents were Albany and South Dakota."
Best Player Prop: Mark Gronowski Under 0.5 TD passes (+130 BetMGM)
"It should be pretty easy for the starting quarterback of a major college football program to throw one TD pass in a game, right? Not if that quarterback wears an Iowa uniform and is facing Iowa State.
Get this: The Hawkeyes have completed just one touchdown pass in their last six meetings against the Cyclones - and none in the last three years.
I highly doubt Iowa transfer Mark Gronowski, who has thrown just 51 passes in college, will add to that total Saturday in Ames, Iowa. So we’ll take the +130 odds that BetMGM is offering on Gronowski not to throw a scoring pass."
Iowa vs Iowa State odds:
Who comes out on top in the 'Cy-Hawk' battle? Share your picks below.