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The Cy-Hawk Trophy is on the line as Iowa State faces Iowa in Week 2. We're live from Kinnick Stadium, sharing our college football odds series and making an Iowa State-Iowa prediction and pick.
Iowa State defeated North Dakota 21-3 in Week 1. They led 7-0 after the first quarter and 14-3 at halftime. The Cyclones only needed one more touchdown, as their defense did the rest of the work.
Rocco Becht went 20 for 26 while passing for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Also, Abu Sama III rushed five times for 36 yards. Jaylin Noel had eight catches for 135 yards and one touchdown. Jayden Higgins had five receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown.
Iowa State had 18 first downs and went 5 for 10 on third downs. The offense finished with 353 yards. Meanwhile, the defense allowed North Dakota to go 11 for 2 on third downs. They also forced one turnover and had two sacks.
Iowa destroyed the Illinois Redbirds 40-0. They led 6-0 at halftime. Then, they erupted in the second half. Suspended coach Kirk Ferentz was not available. Instead, assistant coach Seth Wallace led the way.
Cade McNamara went 21 for 31 with 251 yards for three touchdowns. Additionally, Kaleb Johnson rushed 11 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Kamari Moulton rushed 19 times for 65 yards. Meanwhile, Reece Vander Zee had five catches for 66 yards and two scores. Luke Lachey had six catches for 63 yards.
Iowa leads the all-time series 47-23. Moreover, they defeated Iowa State on the road 20-13 last season and will look to win their second in a row in this series.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Iowa State-Iowa Odds
Iowa State: +3 (-110)
Moneyline: +126
Iowa: -3 (-110)
Moneyline: -152
Over: 35.5 (-114)
Under: 35.5 (-106)
How to Watch Iowa State vs. Iowa
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12;30 PM PT
TV: CBS, Paramount+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why Iowa State Could Cover The Spread/Win
This is Iowa State's hardest nonconference game. Ultimately, they will need more from Becht this season than they got last season in their loss to Iowa.
Becht went 23 for 44 with 203 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Also, it did not help that he had basically no running game to support him. When that happens, it is challenging to beat anyone. In the end, Iowa State finished with just 13 points. While Higgins had eight catches for 95 yards, it was not nearly enough to mount any challenge against the Hawkeyes.
The offense also went just 7 for 18 on third-d0wn conversions. Additionally, they turned the ball over one time, which hurt their chances. The offense put the defense in bad positions. Despite that, they still managed to allow just 20 points.
Iowa State will cover the spread if Becht can make more plays and get some support from his running game. Then, the defense needs to rush the quarterback and force turnovers.
Why Iowa Could Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa will get their head coach back and will have some momentum on their side. Now, they hope to overcome an in-state rival with a trophy on the line.
McNamara did a good job of managing the game last weekend. However, he has more to prove this time around, especially against a team that he struggled against last season. McNamara went just 12 for 23 with 123 yards and one touchdown last season. Ultimately, one could argue that his defense carried him in this one. That is because Johnson struggled in that game, running 15 times for 28 yards.
The offense must figure out a way to get things going earlier than last weekend. Unfortunately, six points would not be enough. This gives McNamara a sizable challenge and a chance to prove he can redeem himself after a mediocre effort against the Cyclones last season. Overall, he just needs to do what he did last weekend. Efficiency is key to winning this game. Therefore, if he can move the chains and keep the offense on the field longer, it will take less pressure off the defense.
The defense performed exceptionally last weekend. While Becht will be a more formidable challenge, the Hawkeyes proved last season that it can beat him just by stopping the running game.
Iowa will cover the spread if McNamara is careful with the football and makes key plays to keep the chains moving. Then, they need the defense to continue making good plays, and stuffing the run will be elemental.
Final Iowa State-Iowa Prediction & Pick
This is one of the funniest rivalries in college football despite the rarity of not even playing in the same conference. Yet, it certainly feels like one. It is a historic rivalry with a long and prestigious timeline. Ultimately, we can see this game going down to the final possession. Both teams are great. However, the Hawkeyes will have the home-field advantage and will do just enough to pull away in this one to cover the odds.
Final Iowa State-Iowa Prediction & Pick: Iowa -3 (-110)
