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2009 Insight Bowl – Minnesota vs Iowa State Betting Lines

Written December 28, 2009 by Hector Garza

Betting college football has never been easier, and BetUs is currently offering a 60% Signup BONUS! The Gophers (6-6) are playing in familiar territory when they travel to Tempe, AZ. This is the third time in the last four years they’ll be in Sun Devil Stadium, and they’ll be looking for their first win in the Insight Bowl against the Cyclones (6-6). This may be their best chance, as our college football spreads have Minnesota as the 2.5 point favorite, with a total set at 48.5. Iowa State bounced back nicely from a 2-10 season last year under the leadership of new head coach Paul Rhoads, with their biggest win coming against the Big 12 North Champions, Nebraska. They hadn’t won in Lincoln since 1977, adding to the significance for the program. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:08 p.m. ET this Thursday, December 31st.

Iowa State is coming into this game having dropped three of their last four games, with their only win coming against Colorado. They’ve had trouble putting points on the board, ranking 11th in the conference in scoring and eighth in total offense. Play caller Austen Arnaud has had a mediocre year throwing, but represents a dual threat with seven rushing touchdowns. He’s averaged 180 ypg in the air with 13 td’s to 11 picks. Joining him in the backfield is Alexander Robinson, who surpassed the 1,000 yard barrier at a 5.0 ypc clip and six scores. The Cyclones may not have a potent offense, but they do have balance with 15 rushing scores and 16 passing. Defensively they’ve been hot and cold. The stop unit played stellar against Nebraska, forcing eight turnovers and holding them to seven points. But they’ve given up at least 34 points five different times this year, and lost to both ranked opponents they faced.

The Gophers have also struggled on offense this year, scoring 21.8 ppg on under 300 ypg. QB Adam Weber has thrown more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (12), and is completing 51.6% of his passes. While he doesn’t exactly strike fear into the heart of foes, he has done a good job spreading the ball around. Seven different players have double digit receptions. He would have had better stats if star receiver Eric Decker hadn’t ended his season with a foot injury. Despite missing the last four games, he still leads the team with 50 receptions and five scores. The defense is led by a solid linebacking core and standout DE Cedric McKinley. The book end has three fumble recoveries this year, best in the league, and hopes to add to that total on Thursday.

Betfirms has plenty free game breakdowns and college bowl picks! Both of these offenses lack star power, and it will be interesting to see which will have the better day. Minnesota has the advantage on defense, where Iowa State has struggled against spread offenses. Either team is capable of pulling out the victory as evidenced by the very close point spread. I think the hit or miss Cyclones will show up to get the victory and the upset, and you can check out more expert college football predictions at Betfirms.