Iowa vs Iowa State Odds & Pick – Hawkeyes Have Won Five Straight as a Road Favorite
- The Hawkeyes have won four straight over the Cyclones, outscoring Iowa State 130-64
- The Cyclones are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 as an underdog
- Iowa has won five straight as a road favorite, covering the spread four times
It’s a quiet week in college football as we won’t have any matchups between teams in the Top 25. One intriguing contest on the card is the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Neither Iowa nor Iowa State are considered title contenders in the National Championship odds. But this is a fierce rivalry game with a narrow one-point spread. Let’s analyze the best bet.
Iowa vs Iowa State Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Hawkeyes | -1 (-115) | -118 | Over 43 (-110) |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +1 (-105) | -102 | Under 43 (-110) |
*Odds taken 09/12/19 .
Cyclones Barely Squeak By Northern Iowa
It’s been a bizarre start to the season for the Cyclones, who were ranked No. 21 ahead of Week 1. They barely survived Northern Iowa of the FCS, edging them 29-26 in triple overtime. They had an early bye in Week 2, so they haven’t been on the field since. As a result, they’ve tumbled out of the top 25.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Cyclones heading into the season as many people felt they could be a contender in the Big 12.
Was Week 1 just a sluggish start against another in-state foe, or was it a symptom of greater problems? That’s something we don’t know as we get ready for Week 2.
Iowa State Struggles With Iowa
The Matt Campbell era has generally been positive in Ames, but he’s had an issue with recurring opponents. His Cyclones can’t seem to beat the Texas Longhorns or the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa has now won four straight contests between the teams and owns the rivalry at 44-22-1. Not many of the games have been close, either. The 2017 meeting was a 44-41 overtime win. However, the other three Iowa wins in this streak were by a combined score of 86-23.
Hawkeyes Have Been Flawless So Far
The Hawkeyes have taken care of business quite comfortably through their first two games of the season, which is more than Iowa State can say.
The Hawkeyes smoked Miami (OH) 38-14 and then shut out Rutgers 30-0. Their defense has been a wall so far and now they’ll go up against the Cyclones, who struggled to score on Northern Iowa.
What’s The Best Bet?
There’s no question that the Hawkeyes have been the sharper team this season. That’s why the Iowa vs Iowa State odds show the Hawkeyes as a small road favorite. However, the Cyclones are coming off a bye, so they’ve had two weeks to prepare.
I like Iowa in this spot as Nathan Stanley has been impressive under center and their defense has been solid. Their pass rush is a bit of a concern — they’ve only registered two sacks and four tackles for a loss against feeble opponents — and if they can’t pressure Cyclone QB Brock Purdy, ISU will have a good shot to win this game.
The Cyclones are better than what they showed in the opener and Iowa will not be as crisp since they’re on the road. This should be a low-scoring game, so my best pick is on the under. For the side, I’d recommend betting on Iowa State but this is a real toss-up as these two teams should be evenly matched.
Pick: Under 43.0 (-110)
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
