If you’re looking to get some money down at a legal Iowa sportsbook on the long odds for Iowa Cyclones championship futures, the market may surprise you. The line on Iowa State winning the College Football Playoff in January 2022 is relatively short.
Depending on the particular Iowa sports betting app you’re looking at, the odds are as short as +2,000. At most IA online sportsbooks, only one other Big 12 team has shorter odds. The odds on Iowa State are a different story from those on the Iowa Hawkeyes as well.
Where the Cyclones championship futures odds currently sit
With how the odds look, you’d think Iowa State just finished a season in which it won nine out of 12 games, including the Fiesta Bowl. Well, that’s exactly what happened. The Cyclones scored nearly 33 points per game and quarterback Brock Purdy finished second in the Big 12 in passing yards.
It’s uncertain whether Purdy will return for the 2021-22 season. However, IA sportsbooks are high on Iowa State either way right now. FanDuel appears to be the most optimistic, giving odds of just +2,000 on the Cyclones winning it all next season.
Other operators have odds of +2200 to +5000 on Iowa State. Only Oklahoma has shorter odds among Big 12 teams, sitting between +700 and +800. Whether Alabama or Clemson is the favorite depends on the book.
There could be a lot of movement between now and then, as players decide whether to return to the Cyclones for another season. The odds could get longer, but it’s also possible that developments with other Big 12 teams could aid Iowa State’s cause.
Will players leaving for the NFL help or hurt Iowa State’s odds?
So far, the list of Big 12 players leaving for the NFL without exhausting their college eligibility is short. It includes TCU safety Ar’Darius Washington and Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey. This year may be a little different for players with at least one year of eligibility left, however.
The NCAA has ruled that this past season will not count toward players’ totals. That means even players who were in their fifth calendar year of playing college football can return to the field for their respective institutions in the fall.
If other players, such as Humphrey and Washington, leave Big 12 teams, that could mean an easier road to a Big 12 Championship next season. A Big 12 title could buy the Cyclones a spot in the College Football Playoff. From there, two wins would make these bets pay off.
Sportsbooks will adjust for this likelihood as decisions become public. What’s certain is that Iowa State starts from a better place than their in-state rivals at the University of Iowa in this market.
So, what about the Hawkeyes?
Currently, the line on Iowa winning its first College Football Playoff trophy sit between +6,000 and +20,000. At various books, Big Ten teams like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin have odds that are equal to or shorter than the Hawkeyes’.
When the next college football season gets underway and if there is an Iowa-Iowa State game, it’s likely the Cyclones will be favored in that contest. Expectations for Iowa State’s next football season haven’t been this high in a long time.
