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The No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones (6-0) will host the UCF Knights (3-3) in a Week 8 matchup between two teams on different trajectories. The game is on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
UCF started the season well, winning its first three games, but has since dropped three straight, including 19-13 to Cincinnati on Saturday. It is not a good position to be heading into a matchup against a top-10-ranked opponent.
Iowa State has continued to exceed expectations and remains undefeated through its first six games. The Cyclones are coming off a 28-16 win over West Virginia and have a forgiving schedule to close the year. They are in a position to contend to win the Big 12.
UCF vs Iowa State prediction
Fans looking for a close matchup will likely need to go elsewhere as Iowa State is a big favorite. If UCF is going to keep things competitive, it needs to get back to doing what it did in its first three games.
UCF started the season strong on both offense and defense. The Knights scored 57, 45 and 35 points against their first three opponents respectively while limiting them to 3, 14 and 34 points.
However, since then the Knights have struggled on offense, scoring 21, 13 and 13 points in their last three games. Their defense has been decent in their previous two games, only allowing 37 points. But without a solid offense, that will not make a difference against Iowa State.
Iowa State has risen in the AP Top 25 rankings and now sits in the top 10. Although it has not faced ranked teams as of Week 8, it has not let many teams stay competitive. The only game where the Cyclones won by less than 10 points was a 20-19 victory over in-state rival Iowa.
Sportsbooks and analytical models agree that this game will be bad for UCF. The Data Skrive model predicts a 37-13 win for Iowa State.
UCF vs Iowa State betting tips
Tip #1: Avoid the money line altogether. Iowa State gets -587 odds, which is not worth betting on in a game as volatile as football.
Tip #2: Bet on the Cyclones to cover the spread +13.5 points (-110).
Tip #3: Bet over the total of 49.5 points (-110).
UCF vs Iowa State head-to-head
There are some big rivalry games in Week 8 like LSU vs. Arkansas, but this is not one of them. UCF and Iowa State will compete for the first time on Saturday.
Unfortunately, the matchup between these two teams is unlikely to be exciting. UCF is an up-and-down team that has lost more recently than not, and Iowa State is one of the hottest teams in college football. If fans are looking for a competitive team between these two teams, they will have to hope they will not have to wait long for the second UCF vs Iowa State matchup.
