Iowa State vs. Iowa odds, picks, predictions: Betting preview, start time for Week 2 college football matchup
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The Cyclones and Hawkeyes renew their rivalry in Week 2
• 3 min read
The Iowa State Cyclones will try to continue their recent dominance over the Iowa Hawkeyes under the lights in Week 2 when the two teams meet at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. The Cyclones have won three of the last four meetings between these teams, and Iowa's 2023 triumph was officially vacated by the NCAA. Iowa State opened the Jimmy Rogers era with a 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State while Iowa dominated Northern Illinois 40-0.
Rogers comes to Ames after a 6-6 campaign at Washington State in 2025. Kirk Ferentz remains in charge at No. 21 Iowa, where he has won at least eight games in four of the last five seasons prior to 2026. The Cyclones are bringing in an entirely new team after Matt Campbell took most of the 2025 group with him to Penn State. Iowa still has a competition at quarterback, but running back Kamari Moulton and tight end DJ Vonnahme are key returning players who will help ease the eventual starter in. We'll go over the latest Iowa State vs. Iowa betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook and provide our best plays for the Week 2 showdown with help from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is on a 33-20 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks on betting sites since the 2024 season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to even better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns.
Iowa State vs. Iowa betting odds (via DraftKings)
| Iowa State vs. Iowa money line: | Iowa State +440, Iowa -600 |
| Iowa State vs. Iowa over/under: | 40.5 (Over -108, Under -112) |
| Iowa State vs. Iowa spread: | Iowa -14 |
Iowa State vs. Iowa betting preview
Arkansas State transfer quarterback Jaylen Raynor looked solid in his Iowa State debut, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more against SEMO. There are some holdovers for the Cyclones who will be stepping into bigger roles, with running back Aiden Flora and receiver Dominic Overby shining in Week 1. Pass rusher Isaac Terrell, who followed Rogers to Ames from Washington State, will be one to watch on Saturday. He logged three sacks in the opener after having seven last year for the Cougars.
Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski both saw action in Week 1, with the former looking more polished overall. It's logical to believe Brown would be the starter for Week 2, but Hecklinski is likely to see some playing time if Ferentz believes the competition is still close. The key for the Hawkeyes is Moulton, who went nuts in Week 1 with 183 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. He did not play in this matchup a year ago, so Iowa has reason to believe he can be the difference in ending this recent skid against its in-state rival.
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Iowa State vs. Iowa picks, prediction
Iowa State-Iowa Under 40.5 points
Even though the SportsLine model has Over 40.5 hitting in 52.8% of simulations, this is a matchup that favors the Under. The last four games in this rivalry have all gone Under 40.5 points, and eight straight contests have seen a point total below 45. According to CBS Research, the Under is 18-3 in the last 21 clashes between Iowa State and Iowa. Factor in the changes at Ames and a potential quarterback battle for Iowa extending into Week 2 and I like the Under once again to hit in this rivalry showdown.
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