The late bowl game on Friday night on ESPN has the Iowa State Cyclones taking on the Washington State Cougars in the Alamo Bowl. The Cyclones are 8-4 SU and 6-6 ATS, while the Cougars are 10-2 SU and 10-2 ATS. This could end up being a low scoring game than most people think, as both Iowa State and Washington State have solid defenses. Let’s look at this game and live betting at BookMaker.eu.
This contest will take place on Friday, December 28, 2018 at 9:00 p.m. ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
NCAA Football Betting at BookMaker.eu
Washington State -3, O/U 54
Odds Analysis
The Cougars are slight favorites in this game with the total in the low 50’s. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Iowa State is led by freshman quarterback Brock Purdy who made his first career start in mid-October and threw three TD passes in a win over West Virginia. He led the Cyclones to wins in six of seven starts.
The Cougars tied for first in the Pac-12 North Division but they blew their chance at the Rose Bowl by losing to Washington in their regular season finale. Washington State is led by quarterback Gardner Minshew, who threw for 4,477 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. Washington State averaged 38 points per game and gave up 23 points per contest.
Iowa State had the top defense in the Big 12 this season, as they allowed just 22.5 points per game. They are led by safety Greg Eisworth who was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. He led the team in tackles with 7.6 per game. The Cyclones will definitely be motivated and excited to play in this game. “Our reaction is certainly humbled and excited,” head coach Matt Campbell said to the media, “I don’t know if we had any expectations other than we felt like we’ve put together a really good resume.” The Cyclones averaged 27 points per game and allowed 23 per contest.
Key Stats
The Cyclones are 15-6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. The Cyclones are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games on grass. The Cyclones are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
The Cougars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. The Cougars are 6-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. The Cougars are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big 12.
Looking at the total, the Under is 5-0-1 in the Cyclones last 6 Bowl games. The Under is 11-1-1 in the Cyclones last 13 games following a straight up win. The Under is 4-1 in the Cougars last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Game Picks
The Cyclones are getting a lot of respect from the oddsmakers, as they are just a 3-point underdog. The question is whether or not they are good enough to handle a Washington State team that won ten games this season. Oftentimes in these bowl games we get a really good idea of which team is going to show up early in the game, so live betting is an excellent option. I lean toward taking the points with Iowa State, as I think they have the motivation to prove they are for real. I also don’t trust the Cougars to win a big game.
I think the best play in this game will be on the total. I think the Cyclones have a very underrated defense and despite the Washington State reputation for having all offense and no defense, their defense is actually pretty good. I think this could easily turn into a game that is tight and low scoring. I think there will be value in live betting in taking this game under the total.
NCAA Football Odds: Iowa State 27, Washington State 24
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