Kansas State and Iowa State are opening the college football season in the annual Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. The game will take place at noon EDT to kick off Week Zero. Both of these teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 and are serious contenders for the Big 12 title. The winning team will receive a significant head start in the race for the conference title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
The Wildcats are a 3-point favorite in this game on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Kansas State is a -155 favorite on the Moneyline, and the total is set at 49.5 points. This is a preview, prediction, and pick for this Kansas State-Iowa State game.
Kansas State vs. Iowa State Preview
Kansas State Preview
This season, Kansas State is tied with Arizona State as the betting favorite to win the Big 12 conference at DraftKings Sportsbook. There were some disappointing results for Kansas State last season, leading them to a 5-4 conference record in what was a relatively weak year in the Big 12. Kansas State couldn’t get over the hump against any of its toughest opponents, including Iowa State. Last season, their quarterback Avery Johnson was a first-year starter. The Wildcats are hoping he will take his experience from last season and make the jump to one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. Johnson is a great athlete who can make plays with his legs, but still has work to do as a decision-maker and a passer.
The Wildcats have some exciting offensive pieces to work with this season. Running back Dylan Edwards is back for another season and will be the primary ball-carrier after backing up DJ Giddens last season. At wide receiver, they return their leading receiver from last season, Jayce Brown, and their second-team all-conference tight end, Garrett Oakley. They did have to rework their offensive line this offseason after losing three starters from last year’s team, which could be an issue against a well-coached Iowa State defense in Week 0.
Iowa State Preview
Iowa State made it to the Big 12 Championship Game last season, before getting dominated by Arizona State with a College Football Playoff spot on the line. Matt Campbell proved why he is one of the best coaches in college football, taking a team with middling expectations to best season in program history by win count. They finished the season with positive momentum, beating Cam Ward’s Miami Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. They don’t have as much preseason hype as Kansas State, but they have the chance to be dangerous again due to great coaching and continuity at quarterback with Rocco Becht.
Becht ranked third in the conference in passing yards last season and showed tremendous guts, leading the team on multiple game-winning drives last season. The Cyclones lost their incredible wide receiver duo, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to the NFL, but reloaded in the portal with Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend. That is in addition to getting back their highly-touted tight end, Ben Brahmer. The Cyclones are short-handed on the defensive line, but have some elite players in the secondary who should be able to keep opposing wide receivers in check. Their big issue in this game will be trying to contain the legs of Avery Johnson, along with Dylan Edwards.
Kansas State vs. Iowa State Pick
Kansas State is a short favorite in this game due to their offensive weapons and strong returning production. The Wildcats are tough on the defensive line, but Iowa State wants to throw the ball with Rocco Becht. They should be able to attack the Kansas State secondary if their transfer receivers hit the ground running. Meanwhile, Iowa State has a great secondary, but has major question marks on the defensive line. That is bad news against Kansas State, one of the most dangerous rushing teams in the conference. Both of these offenses have advantages over the opposing defense that they should take advantage of.
My best bet for this game is the first half over of 24.5 points. This is the fourth straight season of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. In each of the past three editions, at least 28 points were scored in the first half. These offenses have tended to come out at a blistering pace, while the defenses take some time to adjust. There will be a lot of offensive talent on the field, including two highly-regarded returning quarterbacks, while both defenses have question marks that could rear their heads. Both teams have great coaches who could make adjustments at halftime, but this could be a high-scoring first half between these two Big 12 sides.
