Iowa Hawkeyes vs Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview
The Cy-Hawk rivalry returns after COVID-19 took the biggest event outside of the state fair from the state of Iowa. The Hawkeyes have taken the last five matchups in this rivalry. Still, the Cyclones behind Matt Campbell are on the higher trajectory, currently coming off a Big 12 runner-up finish a season ago.
Iowa snuck into the AP top ten this week, so this rivalry is attracting College Gameday and national attention for the first time in a long time. The winner of this game will come away with a top ten out of conference win to boost their resume when the College Football Playoff committee goes to set the bracket.
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Iowa Hawkeyes Team Preview
The Hawkeyes had the better opening weekend when comparing the two teams as they knocked off Big Ten Conference foe Indiana at home. Iowa entered the game as a 3.5-point favorite, but put the Hoosiers to shame, winning the game 34-6. A 56-yard touchdown run by running back Tyler Goodson got the Hawkeyes the lead, and Riley Moss’s first of two pick-sixes put the Hawkeyes up 14-0 and out of reach for the remainder of the game.
This game didn’t provide much insight into the Hawkeyes on offense as the defense was able to control the game against Indiana. The Iowa rushing attack was effective, and quarterback Spencer Petras took care of the ball, but two other fumbles caused hiccups for Kirk Ferentz’s offense.
Defensively, Moss’s two pick-sixes put a red mark on Hoosier quarterback Michael Penix’s afternoon, and a third interception made for a forgettable opening day. Despite the five interceptions, Iowa didn’t put much pressure on Penix, registering only one sack on the day.
Iowa State Cyclones Team Preview
Matt Campbell’s teams have seemed to struggle in season openers during his time at Iowa State. A season ago, the team lost to Louisiana in Ames, and this year the Cyclones let Northern Iowa hang within a touchdown despite being a 28.5-point favorite at the time of kickoff.
The Panthers have given Iowa State a scare in the last two matchups between the teams and came away with a win in 2016.
Breece Hall struggled to get going on the day, averaging just three yards per rush on 23 carries. Brock Purdy had a solid day from an efficiency standpoint, but wasn’t able to find the end zone during the game. The Cyclones may need to find some explosive plays to take down their in-state rivals.
The Iowa State defense mostly did its job as the Panthers found no success on the ground game. An early touchdown on a long pass play was the only break UNI was able to find to take a 7-0 lead. After that, the Cyclone defense clamped down and forced two interceptions, and held Northern Iowa to just an additional field goal.
The Bet
BetOnline, BetUS, and Bovada are in agreement with the line favoring the home team at -4.5. The Cyclones come in as the higher-ranked team but have lost five straight games against the Hawkeyes. Iowa State needs to prove that week one wasn’t a reflection of the team they’re fielding this season.
The three sportsbooks all have the betting line for the total points set at over/under 46, a low-scoring affair. The under seems like a safe bet here as these two teams tend to line up in an old-style rock fight in most matchups.
Both teams will look to run the ball, and both defenses seem up to the task of stopping the run, so whichever team can find some success through the air should come out victorious. In this case, Brock Purdy gets the edge on Spencer Petras, so take the Cyclones, laying 4.5 points.
