With the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners no longer serving as road blocks to the Iowa State Cyclones' path to competing for the Big 12 title, the outlook for Matt Campbell and his staff is much brighter heading into the 2024 College Football betting season. To capitalize on this opportunity, the Cyclones must avoid the slow start they got out to last season and hit the ground running with several tough but winnable matchups on the docket early on. With a conference-high 17 starters returning, building on a strong finish from last year, linemakers have ISU as one of the favorites +939 to claim conference bragging rights. The Cyclones exceeded expectations last year by logging seven wins, easily surpassing what proved to be a laughable 4.5-game projection. Their current season win total odds are set at 7.5, with the odds favoring the over signifying a bullish stance from the college football futures odds market. Let's examine the program's offseason to help CFB bettors make an informed decision on how to attack Iowa State's win total heading into the regular season.
College Football Season Wins Odds
Iowa State Cyclones 2024-25 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Iowa State Over 7.5 Wins -134
Iowa State Under 7.5 Wins +114
A Case for the Over: Ames has seen its fair share of underwhelming seasons, but that narrative has shifted since the current coaching staff took over in 2016. Except for their initial campaign calling the shots, Campbell and his staff have coached the Cyclones to winning records in six of the last seven years, with their peak being a 9-win season in 2020. That year, led by Brock Purdy, they ended with a decisive 34-17 victory over Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. This season, with eight offensive and nine defensive starters returning, Iowa State is poised to elevate their game and potentially secure their first-ever spot in the expanded College Football Playoff. Despite a tumultuous previous season, initially marred by a gambling scandal that was eventually cleared, the Cyclones still earned their sixth bowl invitation in seven years closing the year out logging triumphs in six of their final nine clashes. Now, as the most experienced team in the Big 12 that plays with its heart on its sleeve every passing week. The coaching staff consistently ensures that every aspect of the team is well-prepared each week, so it will be up to the players to execute and follow through. From what I’ve read and seen, the Clones appear ready to take the challenge head-on and seem eager to embrace it.
A Case for the Under: While the overall body of work was good enough to win seven games last season, a win tally that would fail to exceed this year’s impost, ISU failed to put much of any fear into opponents on either side of the ball. The offense, led by Rocco Becht, combined for fewer than 365 yards per game (No. 81) with a majority of the production coming through the air with a passing attack that went for 245 yards per game (No. 50). While the unit improved dramatically as the season moved along, it failed to show up against any of the conference heavyweights. Same goes for a defense that proved to be above average save for defending the pass (No. 73). The unit still surrendered nearly as much yardage as the offense gained and allowed the opposition to average just short of 23 points per game (No. 44). Though all the regulars weren’t in the mix for the Liberty Bowl defeat to Memphis, it still allowed the Tigers to rack up 530 yards of combined offense en route to hanging 36 points on the board. The amount of starters returning is the most in the Big 12, but noticeable improvement must be made if Iowa State is to compete for title bragging rights and put itself in a position to exceed a modest 7.5-game win total.
2024-25 Iowa State Cyclones Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug 31 | vs. North Dakota |
| Sep 7 | at Iowa |
| Sep 14 | OFF |
| Sep 21 | vs. Arkansas State |
| Sep 28 | at Houston |
| Oct 5 | vs. Baylor |
| Oct 12 | at West Virginia |
| Oct 19 | vs. UCF |
| Oct 26 | OFF |
| Nov 2 | vs. Texas Tech |
| Nov 9 | at Kansas |
| Nov 16 | vs. Cincinnati |
| Nov 23 | at Utah |
| Nov 30 | vs. Kansas State |
If the Cyclones can claim the Cy-Hawk Trophy from Iowa early on, ISU will be well-positioned to exceed their win total expectations at the online sportsbook the entirety of the CFB betting season. Although road trips to Houston and West Virginia will be challenging, they are winnable, as are home games against Central Florida and Texas Tech. However, the back half of the schedule comes off as most alarming with games set to go against Kansas, @Utah, and Kansas State— three teams also listed amongst the favorites to take home the Big 12 title. Notably, Iowa State avoids facing Arizona and Oklahoma State, making their schedule more manageable. With experienced talent and excellent coaching, the Cyclones could be one of the more underrated teams in the country. Though the win total has already been bought up a half-game from the opener, I think the talent on the roster is bowl worthy eligible at the very least.
College Football Win Total Prediction: Iowa State Cyclones Over 7.5 Wins
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