Sam Avellone
A rivalry known as “Farmageddon,” the Iowa State-Kansas State matchup always seems to pack a punch, and this year should be no different – even if it’s being played in Dublin, Ireland. The Cyclones have won 5 of their last 7 games over the Wildcats to take a 54-50-4 series lead, and they hope to keep that momentum across the pond. Meanwhile, Kansas State hopes to secure its first win over Iowa State since 2022 with a dynamic rushing attack led by dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson and running back Dylan Edwards.
With so much intrigue in this opening game of the 2025 college football season, a same game parlay is in order. Here are my favorite parlay picks for this Irish opener; let’s start the season off with a big winner!
Kansas State ML (-155)
Dylan Edwards (KSU) 90+ rushing yards (+113)
Joe Jackson (KSU) anytime TD (+205)
Kansas State vs Iowa State same game parlay odds: +525
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing
Kansas State Wildcats ML over Iowa State Cyclones (-155)
Both of these teams will have to replace key pieces from last year’s rosters, but I believe the Kansas State offense is in a much better place than Iowa State’s for this early season showdown. The Cyclones had a pair of 1,100-yard receivers last year in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel that accounted for 17 of the team’s 25 receiving touchdowns, but both of them now play for the Houston Texans. Furthermore, Iowa State returns only 57% of its production on defense and has to replace its top 2 tacklers, 3 sack leaders, and best coverage defenders in the secondary. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will be without leading rusher DJ Giddens, a few starting offensive linemen, their leader in sacks, and multiple pieces in the secondary. However, they are top 15 nationally in overall returning production, including over 70% on offense and over 60% on defense.
Without Higgins and Noel, I expect there to be growing pains in the Iowa State passing attack early in the season. Rocco Becht is a bonafide veteran at the college level, but having to replace those 2 dynamic pass-catchers is not going to be an easy feat – even against Kansas State’s new-look secondary. The Cyclones are going to have to rely more on the run, which could be a good thing for them in the long run considering both of their leading rushers return. However, in this particular game it may be an issue, as the strength of Kansas State’s defense is the front 7.
On the other side, Iowa State deploys a 3-3-5 defense that is typically strong against the pass, but it leaves the Cyclones vulnerable against the run – which is not ideal against a Kansas State offense that loves to run the ball. I have much more confidence in Kansas State’s offense in this particular matchup from a ball security and clock management perspective, so I’m going to take the Wildcats to win this game straight up for the sake of the parlay.
Dylan Edwards (KSU) 90+ rushing yards (+113)
Replacing Giddens won’t be easy for the Wildcats, as the now-Indianapolis Colt had back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons at Kansas State. However, Edwards is ready for a breakout season after he gained nearly 7.5 yards per attempt and scored 7 total touchdowns last year. The matchup against Iowa State should be ideal for him, as the Cyclone 3-3-5 defense is susceptible to the run. In fact, Iowa State allowed nearly 189 rushing yards per game last year (110th), in addition to 19 rushing touchdowns. I trust Kansas State will be able to move the ball consistently on the ground, and Edwards should be the primary beneficiary of that considering Giddens left behind more than 200 rushing attempts from last year. For what it’s worth, Edwards had more than 8 rushing attempts just once last year, and that came in the Rate Bowl when he carried the ball 18 times for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Look for him to make the most of an increased workload and run through this porous Iowa State run defense.
Find out ALL of our CFB futures best bets in one place with our handy betting guide
Joe Jackson (KSU) anytime TD (+205)
Edwards is not built like Giddens. In fact, Edwards is listed around 5’9” and 170 pounds, while Giddens is north of 6 feet and 200 pounds. Giddens’ size made him a great option deep in the red zone, and while I think Edwards will get the lion’s share of the carries in this offense this year, he’s not a direct replacement for Giddens close to the goal line. That’s where red shirt sophomore Joe Jackson comes in. Jackson is listed at 6-foot, 212 pounds, making him a better red zone threat than Edwards given his power and size rather than the finesse and speed Edwards showcases. With the expectation that Kansas State is able to move the ball consistently on the ground, the Wildcats should have multiple red zone opportunities. Don’t be surprised to see Jackson spell Edwards deep in the red zone and cross the goal line with the ball in his hands.
