We have a Friday night Big 12 clash between the Iowa State Cyclones and the BYU Cougars. BYU expects to be at the top of the conference standings in the end, and they are off to a 4-0 start. They had to battle on the road last weekend to beat TCU, and Notre Dame looms on the horizon next week, so this is a dangerous trap spot for the Cougars. Iowa State is 3-2, and they are looking to build off an electric home win over West Virginia last week. Iowa State is playing well, and while they might not win this game, this has all the makings of a close, grinding Big 12 game. Give me the points with Iowa State.
Last weekend, Iowa State running back Aiden Flora had one of the most iconic games in school history. He ran for over 200 yards and scored three touchdowns, but he also threw for two touchdowns on trick plays. While he won’t do that sort of stuff to an elite BYU defense, it does seem like the Cyclones have found some things on offense. As for BYU, star running back LJ Martin is likely to miss this game with an ankle injury. This is a physical, run-heavy offense that could have trouble without its star ball carrier. I look for this game to be a physical battle, and one that BYU ultimately wins close. This game has “win-no-cover” written all over it.
Iowa State at BYU prediction: Iowa State +10.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +8.5.
