In college football, we usually need to wait until several weeks into the season before we start seeing the conference games come into play, which is where the best of the best rivalry games resides. In the early going, teams usually take the opportunity to play non-conference games against some of the lesser lights in the college world. There are some very good match-up residing in there, but the reality is that the opening month of the season is very nearly treated like a preseason of sorts for the teams that have designs on the playoffs and a National Championship.
Week 3 has one of those match-ups hiding in there, with the Iowa Hawkeyes set to go on the road and do battle with their in-state rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones. It may not be up there with Miami against Florida State or Auburn versus Alabama, but it is a rivalry game nonetheless, and a good one at that. It is Iowa who are in as a slight 2 ½ point road favorite for this one. The point total is on the lower side and is set at 44 ½.
Iowa vs Iowa State 2019 College Football Week 3 Odds & Analysis
- When: Saturday, September 14, 4 PM EST
- Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames
- TV: FS1
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
- College Football Week 3 Odds: Iowa -2.5 (Total 44.5)
Stanford vs UCF 2019 College Football Week 3 Spread, Game Info & Prediction
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 27°C/81°F
- Humidity: 71%
- Precipitation: 20%
- Cloud Cover: 36%
- Wind: 13 mph SSW
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes?
The Hawkeyes have long been seem as a team that plays solid defensive football, but through the opening two weeks of the season, it has been the offense that has been allowed to shine. That is not to say that the defense hasn’t played a role in getting Iowa to 2-0, as they have surrendered just 14 points, but the offense has been very good, averaging 24 points per game.That wasn’t quite enough to cover the spread in the opening week in a 38-14 win over Miami (Ohio), but they were good for the cover bet in Week 2, pounding Rutgers 38-0. Iowa have now won 5 in a row and have been very good against their in-state rivals, winning 5 of their last 6 and 7 of their last 10. They are also 4-1-1 ATS versus Iowa State in their last 6 meetings.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 38.00
- Passing Yards: 252.00
- Rushing Yards: 213.00
- Yards per Play: 6.55
Defense
- Points per Game: 14.00
- Passing Yards: 186.00
- Rushing Yards: 59.00
- Yards per Play: 4.71
Why bet on the Iowa State Cyclones?
Unlike their rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones have just one game under their belts this season. If we are being honest, the result of that one should perhaps make you a little wary about playing the Cyclones this weekend. They started their season opener against Northern Iowa as a 20 ½ point favorite, but they were more than a little lucky to escape with a 29-26 win.
You could argue that the Cyclones will be up for this one, but their previous meetings against Iowa suggest that they might well be up against it. This is a team that has now failed to cover in each of their last 6 games, although they are 8-2 SU in their last 10. They have won 7 in a row at home, but they are just 1-4 SU when Iowa comes to town.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 29.00
- Passing Yards: 278.00
- Rushing Yards: 185.00
- Yards per Play: 5.38
Defense
- Points per Game: 26.00
- Passing Yards: 228.00
- Rushing Yards: 34.00
- Yards per Play: 3.59
Arizona State vs Michigan State 2019 College Football Week 3 Odds & Pick
Iowa vs Iowa State 2019 Collegew Football Week 3 Betting Trends
- Hawkeyes are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the Big 12 conference
- Hawkeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played in September
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Iowa’s last 7 games on the road
- Cyclones are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games at home
- Cyclones are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played in week 3
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa State’s last 5 games against Iowa
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Rivalry games have a habit of being a little tougher to predict, but I do believe that all signs point to an Iowa win. I really like the OVER in this one, but I will also be taking the Hawkeyes to win and cover the spread.Score: Iowa Hawkeyes 31 – Iowa State Cyclones 27
