UCF Knights vs Iowa State Cyclones Betting Pick & Prediction 10/19/24

UCF and Iowa State are set to face off in a week eight college football matchup, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 ET at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The game will be broadcast on FS1, and the Cyclones come in as the heavy favorite at -13.5 points. The over/under line is currently set at 48.5 points. Iowa State is undefeated on the season at 6-0, while UCF has a 3-3 record.

UCF KNIGHTS VS IOWA STATE CYCLONES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Iowa State Cyclones -13.5

This game will be played at Jack Trice Stadium at 7:30 ET on Saturday, October 19th.

WHY BET THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES:

• We have the Iowa State Cyclones winning this one by a score of 35 to 16
• Not only do we have the Iowa State Cyclones winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -13.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 48.5 points

Will The UCF Knights Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

UCF heads into Week 8 against Iowa State with a 3-3 record, ranked 47th in our CFB power rankings. They have a 60.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. On the road, UCF is 1-1, while they are 1-2 at home this season.

The Knights have been favored in three of their six games, going 1-2 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +7 points, and they are 2-3 against the spread this year.

UCF’s over/under record is 3-2, with their games averaging 54.3 points. Their average over/under line has been 59.3 points, while this week’s line is set at 48.5 points.

UCF’s offense is built around their rushing attack, ranking 3rd in the nation with 268 rushing yards per game on 48.2 attempts. RJ Harvey leads the team with 694 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. UCF is also converting 45.8% of their third downs, ranking 28th nationally. They are averaging 30.7 points per game, placing them 38th in scoring.

KJ Jefferson has thrown for 1,012 yards with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 96. UCF ranks 87th in passing yards per game, averaging 205.8. Kobe Hudson has 477 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns this season.

UCF’s defense has been strong against the run this season, ranking 16th nationally by allowing just 93.5 rushing yards per game. In their recent game against Cincinnati, they gave up only 97 rushing yards on 32 attempts. However, the secondary has struggled, allowing 246 passing yards per game, ranking 119th in the country, and a 69.9% completion rate, which is 156th nationally.

Against Cincinnati, UCF’s defense allowed 19 points and 338 total yards, including 241 passing yards. They also forced two interceptions in the game. On average, UCF is giving up 23.7 points per game this season, which ranks 43rd nationally.

Are The Iowa State Cyclones Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

Iowa State is 6-0 this season and ranks 17th in our power rankings. They have a 100% chance of being bowl-eligible and a 40.2% chance to win the Big 12. The Cyclones also have the 8th best odds to make the CFB playoff at 53.1%.

Iowa State has gone 4-0 as the favorite and 1-0 as the underdog, with an average scoring margin of +19.7 points per game. They are 5-0 against the spread this season.

The over/under line for this week’s game is 48.5 points. Iowa State’s average over/under line is 45.9 points, and their games have averaged 41.7 points per contest.

Heading into week 8, Iowa State’s offense is averaging 30.7 points per game, placing them 38th nationally. However, they rank 18th in our offensive power rankings. Quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown for 1,438 yards with a passer rating of 108, completing 66.5% of his passes. He has 10 touchdowns and three interceptions this season.

The Cyclones are converting 48.7% of their third downs, ranking 15th in the country. They are 29th in rushing attempts, averaging 174.5 yards per game on the ground. Jaylon Jackson leads the team with 314 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Jaylin Noel has 528 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Heading into their matchup with UCF, Iowa State’s defense ranks 4th nationally, allowing just 11 points per game. They’ve also given up only 145.7 passing yards per game, the 8th-lowest in the country, and quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 47.8 against them, the 2nd-lowest in the nation.

In their recent game against West Virginia, Iowa State’s defense allowed 16 points and forced two interceptions. They gave up 356 total yards, including 150 rushing yards on 31 attempts and 206 passing yards.