Welcome to Week 9 of the college football season, sports betting family. As it usually does, the year is going by way too fast, but there are lots of fun games left out there for us.
I've found some nice edges on Saturday afternoon's BYU vs Iowa State game, which kicks off at 3:30 Eastern Time on FOX. I've broken down all aspects of this matchup and came up with an early best bet to hopefully help build your bankroll.
Good luck and enjoy the action! This should be an exciting Big 12 battle in Ames. Let's get into it!
Online sportsbooks opened this line at BYU -1.5 on the look-ahead line back in the summer months. Surprisingly, the current number is now Iowa State -3, which is kind of a shock since BYU is still undefeated and ranked 11th nationally.
As for the game total, there's been a small move toward the Over so far. The line opened at 48.5, and almost every sportsbook in the US is now dealing 49.5. There aren't really any strong outliers in the market for the total as of Monday morning.
The Cougars have surpassed all expectations this season, as most thought they'd take a step back after losing star QB Jake Retzlaff to Tulane during the summer. However, Bear Bachmeier has stepped into the starting role and played exceptionally well (1386 passing yards, 17 total TDs).
BYU's offense is the strength of the team, as they rank 21st in yards per play and 4th in yards per pass. Bachmeier's favorite target is Chase Roberts, who has hauled in 24 receptions for 463 yards and 4 TDs. Veteran RB LJ Martin is also a force to be reckoned with, as he's rumbled for 774 yards on the ground so far.
The Cougars' defense has been the epitome of bend but don't break. They rank just 101st in the land in yards per pass allowed. However, they make up for it by ranking 4th in red zone defense.
The Cyclones got off to a fast 5-0 start before dropping a couple of tough road contests. You can't blame either loss on QB Rocco Becht, though, as he's thrown for 1622 yards and is responsible for 16 total TDs. The junior signal caller will need to be efficient against an above-average BYU D-line.
Abu Sama has helped add some balance to Iowa State's offense. He's run for 481 yards and 4 TDs so far this year, and I'd expect him to get the ball on lots of screens and draws to try and limit the BYU pass rush.
We're fresh off a decent 4-3 week in college football and ready to fire on some plays for Week 9. As I often like to ask in this column, "Why is an unranked team favored over a highly ranked team?" No. 11 BYU is getting points against unranked Iowa State in this one, and I'll explain why here shortly.
Sure, the stats say that the Coogs have most of the edges in this contest. However, the spot favors the Cyclones in a BIG way. Iowa State is at home, and they're coming off a bye after two tough road losses at Cincy and at Colorado. I think Matt Campbell and QB Rocco Becht will rally the troops for a huge home "upset" in this spot.
On the other hand, this is a dreadful spot for BYU. They're off a big-time rivalry win in The Holy War against Utah. Now they have to hit the highway to play a rested but pissed Iowa State team in a tough environment. Let's lay the small number with the Cyclones.
Prediction: Iowa State 27- BYU 21