Iowa State University’s football program may have its best team since the days of Seneca Wallace. That means it’s time to bet on the Cyclones 2020 playoff odds.
Quarterback Brock Purdy will be under center for the entire season, arguably the Big 12’s best defense is back and the schedule is favorable. That all adds up to this being an opportune moment for Iowa State.
Cyclones 2020 playoff odds: Offseason recap
Iowa State finished last season winning seven of its final nine games. Though wide receiver Hakeem Butler and linebacker Willie Harvey are now in the NFL, there is plenty of talent on this roster.
Linebacker Marcel Spears Jr. solidifies the interior defense. End JaQuan Bailey augments Spears on the edge. The two helped the Cyclones post the best defensive numbers in the Big 12 and rank ninth in the nation against the run last season.
Purdy’s new target of choice could be tight end Charlie Kolar. If Purdy can use Kolar and others to replicate his success from 2018, Iowa State definitely deserves the distinction of Big 12 dark horse.
The Cyclones need better classes than the 47th-best nationwide to regularly compete in the conference. That gives them a starting point, however. Sportsbooks like the foundation.
Breaking down the Cyclones 2020 playoff odds
Las Vegas has Iowa State as a long shot to win the 2020 College Football Playoff at 200/1. Other books that are or could soon be available for Iowa sports betting share that opinion.
- FanDuel lists the Cyclones at +20000 to win the next national title.
- SugarHouse and PointsBet have Iowa State +18000.
- DraftKings slots their national title hopes at +15000.
The only book that currently has odds on whether the Cyclones will be one of the four College Football Playoff teams is DraftKings. That line is +5000.
Iowa State has better odds to compete for Big 12 supremacy than national supremacy. That’s where the smart money for the 2019-20 season is.
Iowa State’s more feasible fate in the Big 12
The Cyclones will be favored in most of their conference games this season. With the exceptions of their tilts against Oklahoma and Texas, Iowa State will be the clear best team on the field.
Because of that, taking the +1000 that PointsBet offers on the Cyclones winning the Big 12 championship is a tempting bet. FanDuel’s +350 on Iowa State being in position to play for the Big 12 title is attractive, as well.
DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet all set the Cyclones’ win expectancy at 8. The best action on that is on FanDuel by a wide margin.
That particular bet is among the best in the nation given Iowa State’s talent and the Cyclones’ schedule. All three non-conference games are winnable, if not games they should win.
If Iowa State can run the nonconference table, the Cyclones could drop both the Oklahoma and Texas games plus suffer an unexpected loss in another game while still getting to 9 wins. If Iowa State can run the conference table save its dates against the Longhorns and Sooners, a stellar 10-win season would be in the Cyclones’ future.
Sports betting in Iowa is now legal and live at some sportsbooks in the state. That’s perfect timing given the potential for Iowa State this season.
