Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Preview: Surging Cyclones Seek to Avoid Letdown in Morgantown

Iowa State won’t end up making a serious run at a College Football Playoff berth, but after a bumpy start, the Cyclones have won three straight and are heating up at the right time. Last weekend, they gave their Big 12 title hopes a major boost by ending Oklahoma State’s perfect start.

Will West Virginia throw a wrench into those conference title chances? The Mountaineers got their first Big 12 win last week, and following it with a win over a ranked team could set them up for a strong finish.

Morgantown isn’t an easy place to play, so the Cyclones must maintain their focus to extend their win streak and keep their Big 12 title hopes intact.

Iowa State Cyclones (5-2) vs West Virginia Mountaineers (3-4), ESPN+, 2:00 p.m. ET

Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers College Football Betting Odds

Moneyline

• Iowa State Cyclones -310
• West Virginia Mountaineers +240

Total

• OVER 47.5 (-114)
• UNDER 47.5 (-106)

Spread

• Iowa State Cyclones -7.5 (-102)
• West Virginia Mountaineers +7.5 (-120)

Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers college football betting odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 12:20 p.m. ET.

Iowa State Cyclones vs West Virginia Mountaineers Best Bet

Iowa State -7.5

No sport trades more on preseason expectations than college football. In the case of Iowa State, a slow start dashed some very high hopes. But the Cyclones are now playing more like we thought they would, and a conference title is still within reach.

Last week, the Cyclones disrupted the perfect season of Oklahoma State with a solid, gritty performance. Their lone Big 12 loss was to Baylor by just two points, and now that the pressure is off they can play their game under the radar a little. The Cyclones still might be Oklahoma’s biggest threat within the conference.

The Mountaineers broke a three-game losing streak last week with an upset win at TCU. Still, they are underdogs at home for this one because the offense has been wildly unpredictable. It is hard to know if they can score enough points against a good ISU defense. QB Jarrett Doege is posting career bests in completion percentage and yards per attempt, but he also has more picks (five) than he did in ten games last season (four). That may not look like much, but he needs to have a clean game for the Mountaineers to have a chance to win.

This spread is fascinating to me. The Mountaineers are getting too much respect from their win at TCU and for playing at home in Morgantown. I don’t see where they have any advantages on the field, and I like the momentum that Iowa State has at the moment. If the number, which was at 6.5 earlier in the week, moves back to seven, this is a much stronger play. But either way, I still like the Cyclones to comfortably win and cover.

Iowa State vs West Virginia College Football Score Prediction

Iowa State 33, West Virginia 20