Iowa State will look to stay undefeated when they host the Baylor Bears on Saturday night. Baylor comes into this one with a 2-3 record after losing two straight games. The Cyclones will return home after winning their 4th straight game to open up the season. How will this Baylor vs. Iowa State matchup playout when it kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Baylor Bears (+11.5) at Iowa State Cyclones (-11.5) o/u 44.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 4, 2024
Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
TV: FOX
Public Betting: Public Bettors Backing Bears
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 66% of bets are on Baylor. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Baylor Bears
Baylor has lost two heartbreakers in a row. First was the loss to Colorado in which they allowed a 40 yard Hail Mary to be caught as regulation expired for the Buffaloes to tie the game. The Bears went on to fumble out of the back of the end zone on the goal line in overtime. Last week, they hosted the BYU Cougars and lost 34-28. After bringing the score to 6 points with a touchdown early on in the 4th quarter, the Bears failed to find the end zone the rest of the game, including turning the ball over on downs at the BYU 24. Sawyer Robertson passed for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns against BYU while also adding 2 interceptions. The run game averaged just 2.3 yards per carry. The Baylor defense had 2 interceptions on the day.
Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones have had it pretty easy since taking down rival Iowa 20-19. They followed up that game with a 52-7 win over Arkansas State. Then last week they went to Houston and beat the Cougars 20-0. There was really nothing special or exciting about the matchup with Houston. The score was 3-0 at half time with a total of 8 punts in the first half. The 2nd half the Cyclones leaned on the run game with Abu Sama III rushing for 101 yards and Jaylon Jackson rushing for 96 yards. Rocco Becht threw for 153 yards and a touchdown. The defense had 2 interceptions and a fumble. Other than that it felt like Iowa State was playing down to their opponent in the first half and thought that they were never in danger of losing this game with how bad Houston’s offense is.
Baylor vs. Iowa State Betting Trends
Baylor is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against Iowa State
The OVER is 10-2 in Baylor’s last 12 games on the road
Iowa State is 3-1 ATS so far this season
The OVER is 4-1 in Iowa State’s last 5 games against Baylor
Baylor vs. Iowa State Prediction:
I like the over 44.5 total points in this matchup on Saturday night. Since Sawyer Robertson has taken over the Baylor offense, they have scored 31, 31, and 28 points. The Cyclones defense is ranked 4th in the country giving up 9 points per game, but I don’t think the defense has really been tested much. Holding Houston, Arkansas State, and North Dakota to a combined 10 points doesn’t really impress me. They allowed 19 to Iowa even though the Hawkeyes only completed 13 passes and threw 2 interceptions. On the opposite end, Baylor is giving up 25 points per game, including 38 (one period of OT) and 34. Add in the trends with 4 of the last 5 between these two schools hitting the over and 10 of the last 12 road games for Baylor going over.
Baylor vs. Iowa State Prediction: Over 44.5