Iowa vs. Iowa State prediction, odds, start time: 2025 college football Week 2 picks via expert on 7-0 run

A rivalry which dates back to 1894 will see its next iteration on Saturday when the Iowa Hawkeyes visit the No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones. The Hawkeyes (1-0) lead the all-time Cy-Hawk Series in football 47-24 and are coming off a 30-point victory over Albany. However, the Cyclones (2-0) won last year’s meeting between the in-state rivals and enter in off a 48-point win over South Dakota. The winner will be awarded the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which the Iowa Hawkeyes have taken home in seven of the last nine meetings.

Kickoff is at noon ET from Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. After opening at -1.5, the Cyclones are now 3.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Iowa State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is 43. Before making any Iowa vs. Iowa State picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine expert, Tom Fornelli, has to say. New users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

A CBS Sports writer since 2010, the entertaining Fornelli is perhaps best known for his college football expertise. Fornelli’s dedication to analysis of all levels of college football has helped him go 7-0 over his last seven over/under picks in Iowa State games. Anyone who has followed him could be way up.

Now, Fornelli has zoned in on Iowa vs. Iowa State. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college football odds and college football betting lines for Iowa State vs. Iowa:

Why Iowa can cover

Sixth-year quarterback Mark Gronowski is a transfer from South Dakota State, and he moved his college record to 50-6 with last week’s victory. Gronowski is a threat on the ground as he scored his 38th rushing touchdown in Week 1, which was part of a dominant run game for the Hawkeyes. They rushed for 310 yards, led by Xavier Williams’ 122 yards, as five different Hawkeyes had at least one rush of 10-plus yards.

If there is a defense that can help bring along Iowa’s passing game, it is the one the Hawkeyes will see on Saturday. ISU ranked fifth-worst in sack percentage in 2024, and it doesn’t appear much has changed this year as it has just one sack through two games. Also, playing in Ames hasn’t been an advantage for the home team in recent meetings between these two as Iowa has recorded six straight road victories in this series. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Iowa State can cover

ISU went to Dublin in Week 0 to upset the then-17th ranked Kansas State Wildcats and then put on a nearly flawless performance last week versus USD. Iowa State converted nine of 10 third downs, while quarterback Rocco Becht completed all but one of his 20 pass attempts. Becht had three times as many touchdown passes (three) as incompletions as he’s accounted for six total touchdowns this season with zero interceptions. He was also a standout in the Cyclones’ 2024 road win over Iowa, passing for 272 yards and two scores.

Iowa State can also take advantage of the Hawkeyes’ severe deficiency in the passing game. After working fifth-worst in FBS in passing offense a year ago, it doesn’t look like much has improved for Iowa. It had just 48 passing yards in its Week 1 victory over FCS school Albany. Additionally, spread trends favor Iowa State, which is 4-1 against the spread over its last five non-conference games, while Iowa is 1-4 versus the spread over its last five out of conference. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $300 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make Iowa vs. Iowa State picks

For Saturday’s Iowa vs. Iowa State matchup, Fornelli is leaning over the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who covers in Iowa vs. Iowa State, and what critical x-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Iowa vs. Iowa State spread you need to jump, all from the expert who is on a 7-0 run (+700) with over/under picks in Iowa State games, and find out.