Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction, Pick, Odds: Who Will Win The Cy-Hawk Trophy?

Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction, Pick, Odds: Who Will Win The Cy-Hawk Trophy?

There's no longer much hype around the Iowa programs this season. The Iowa Hawkeyes have yet to improve their offense. Meanwhile, Iowa State is projected to be one of the worst Big 12 teams this season. The Big 12 is deep and likely not as bad as some analysts have predicted. But either way, the CyHawk matchup will tell us a lot about these two teams in Week 2. The Hawkeyes earned a 24-14 victory against Utah State at home. Meanwhile, Iowa State added a 30-9 win against Northern Iowa. There's nothing to get excited about. But a win at Jack Trice Stadium would be a big win for either program moving forward.

Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Saturday's game between the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa vs. Iowa State Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch

• Date: September 9, 2023
• Game Time: 3:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: FOX

Iowa vs. Iowa State Odds

• Spread: Iowa -4 (-110), Iowa State +4 (-110)
• Total Odds: O/U 36.5 (-110)
• Moneyline Odds: Iowa (-175), Iowa State (+145)

Iowa vs. Iowa State Injury Report

Iowa

Questionable: WR Jacob Bostick (Foot), DB Jamison Heinz (Undisclosed), WR Jack Johnson (Suspension), WR Reese Osgood (Undisclosed). OL Beau Stephens (Undisclosed)

Out: DL Noah Shannon (Suspension)

Iowa State

Questionable: RB Jirehl Brock (Suspension), QB Hunter Dekkers (Suspension), TE DeShawn Hanika (Suspension), DL Isaiah Lee (Suspension), OL Jake Remsburg (Suspsneion)

Iowa vs. Iowa State Prediction

There might be a lot of Iowa and Iowa State players reading this article.

Iowa and Iowa State athletes were caught sports betting illegally. Some even bet their teams, which is just mind-boggling.

Hopefully, both Iowa teams agree with me with my best bet!

The Iowa Hawkeyes might finally have a reliable quarterback. Cade McNamara transferred from Michigan and added two passing touchdowns with no interceptions against Utah State last weekend. He only completed 17 of 30 throws and added just 191 yards. It was nothing spectacular. But this was something Iowa hadn't seen in the previous seasons.

The run game was weak for the Hawkeyes against Utah State. It averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. So, while the passing game improved, the run game worsened.

Luke Lachey is clearly McNamara's go-to guy in the passing game. Lachey added seven catches for 73 yards, averaging 10.4 yards per catch against Utah State.

Still, the Hawkeyes only earned 284 yards of offense and added seven penalties for 50 yards.

However, Iowa plays a different brand of football. They know how good of a defense they have. The goal is to limit turnovers and give the defense a lot of field to work with. The Hawkeyes did that on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Iowa State's win against Northern Iowa wasn't all that impressive. Sure, the Cyclones won, 30-9, but Iowa State, like Iowa, was outgained by a weak opponent.

Northern Iowa added 279 yards, while Iowa State had just 250 yards. The Cyclones went 2-for-11 on third down and had nine penalties for 81 yards. The offense behind Rocco Becht was nothing special, either. He added two touchdowns on ten of 13. But he also had just 113 yards passing and a QBR of 63.7. Iowa State's running game worked its magic, adding five yards per carry. The defense also won the turnover battle, earning two interceptions, while the Iowa State offense didn't turn the ball over at all.

Iowa's pass protection must improve before they take on any Big Ten opponent. But I also thought Iowa's defense did so many better things than Iowa State's. No team has a great offense. But I'd feel more comfortable with the ball in McNamara's hands. He'll likely make better decisions in this game, especially with the Hawkeyes' defense being much better.

Let's take the Iowa Hawkeyes at -4.

The Under is always a solid play. I feel like there's more of an edge with the Hawkeyes in this game.

I genuinely think Iowa is much better than Iowa State, even on the road.

Iowa vs. Iowa State Pick

• PICK: Iowa -4 -110 (Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick)

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