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Oklahoma State vs Iowa State Football Odds

Written November 6, 2009 by Hector Garza

Betfirms if your number one source for expert college football picks. #18 Oklahoma State hits the road this week, ready to bounce back after a disappointing 41-14 loss to now #2 Texas where they committed 5 turnovers. Iowa State will welcome them to Ames for kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones are happy to have starting QB Austin Arnaud back in the lineup from a bruised hand after going 1-1 in two games without him. The Cowboys are the 7 point favorites according to the college football odds, and the total is set at 51.

Take away two interception returns for touchdowns, and the Texas game last week could have been a much closer affair. Be that as it may, QB Zac Robinson had one of his worst performances, throwing 4 interceptions and completing 15 of 28 passes for 143 yards and only 1 td. On average he’s been much better, throwing a total of 13 td’s to 7 int’s and rushing for 4 more td’s in an offense that’s putting up 34.1 ppg and 400 ypg. What’s more, he’s been putting up most of these numbers without star WR Dez Bryant, who’s been suspended by the NCAA for lying. Star RB Kendall Hunter has seen his playing time diminish due to injuries, but Keith Toston and Beau Johnson have picked up the slack combining for 937 yards and 11 td’s.

Mike Gundy and company have done a good job of turning around the ‘best defense is a good offense’ mentality, and now the Cowboys actually have a stop unit that’s producing. This team is ranked 13th against the run, allowing under 100 ypg. They’ll pit their strength against that of the Cyclones, who are leading the Big 12 at 200.3 ypg. The linebacking core is solid, but the secondary is still improving. On the year they’ve tallied 16 takeaways. Take a look here for more information on college football betting.

Out of 25 td’s scored this year, 15 have come on the ground, which is where Iowa State tends to focus their energy. RB Alexander Robinson is the only back in the conference averaging over 100 ypg, and is sporting an impressive 5.4 ypc. Play caller Arnaud will be making the start with his 9 td’s through the air, and is always a threat to run. In the 7 games he’s played, he leads the team in rushing td’s (7) and is 2nd in total yardage at 434. The only team to dominate Arnaud this year was Iowa, who beat them 35-3 when Austen threw 4 of his 5 interceptions.

While the offense is much improved from last year, the defense can do better. They’re currently allowing just under 400 yards per contest, and opponents are averaging 21.4 ppg. The secondary is the biggest weakness, and has allowed 18 of the 26 td’s. A plus has been their ability to create turnovers. They’ve jumped on 13 fumbles and intercepted 13 passes for a total of 26 takeaways. Zac Robinson showed he can get rattled, and the Cyclones must force more turnovers for a chance at the upset.

Austen Arnaud and Iowa State can put points on the board and are averaging 21.7 ppg, but their offensive strength, running the football, plays into the Cowboys defensive strength. On the other hand, Oklahoma State is throwing for 220.9 ypg, which plays into the weak part of the Cyclone defense. State leads the overall series 24-17-3, and despite playing on the road I have them as the winner by double digits. Be sure to take advantage of Bookmakers 20% Deposit Bonus or check out more winning NCAA football picks.

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