The Iowa Hawkeyes will host the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday in the latest edition of the Cy-Hawk Trophy game.
This game will be decided on the ground, with Jaylen Raynor and Kamari Moulton among the top choices in my Iowa State vs. Iowa touchdown picks.
Read on to see all my free college football picks for Saturday, Sept. 12.
Best Iowa State vs Iowa anytime touchdown picks
| Pick |  Odds |
|---|---|
| Iowa State TD Pick: Jaylen Raynor | +195 |
| Iowa TD Pick: Kamari Moulton | -320 |
| Longshot: Addison Ostrenga | +475 |
| Combo: Raynor TD + Moulton TD | +195 |
Iowa State touchdown pick: Jaylen Raynor anytime TD +195
Jaylen Raynor spent three years as a starting quarterback for Arkansas State, operating primarily in the pocket but offering enough of a dual-threat to keep opponents honest. He scored 15 rushing touchdowns in three years before coming to Iowa State, and added another two scores on the ground against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks in his debut.
Iowa looks ferocious on defense yet again in 2026, but if teams have any chance against them, it's on the ground. The Hawkeyes were merely a top-30 defense against the run in 2025, allowing 4.51 yards per carry.
The Cyclones may struggle to score on Saturday, but Raynor gives them their best shot, and I like him at up to 35%.
Iowa touchdown pick: Kamari Moulton anytime TD -320
Senior running back Kamari Moulton started the year with a bang for the Hawkeyes, rushing for 183 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Illinois in Week 1. Moulton has been building towards this performance after setting career highs in yardage (878) and touchdowns (5) in 2025.
Although Iowa State looked stout against the run against Southeast Missouri State, there are reasons to doubt it will repeat that performance against Iowa. The obvious difference is the level of competition it faces this week, but Redhawks quarterback Braylen Ragland also "ran" for -52 yards.
Without that, the Cyclones would have allowed a more reasonable 119 yards on 36 carries. I like Moulton to score at up to 80%.
Iowa State vs Iowa long-shot touchdown scorer pick: Addison Ostrenga anytime TD +475
Addison Ostrenga missed almost the entirety of the 2025 season for Iowa after suffering an Achilles injury, derailing what should have been a capstone year for his career with the Hawkeyes. He's now looking to be an important option in the passing game for an Iowa team that is going to lean heavily on the running attack in 2026.
When they do throw the ball, the Hawkeyes aren't going to push it downfield, making a veteran tight end like Ostrenga a valuable target for Hank Brown or whoever emerges as Iowa's starting QB.
Ostrenga caught three balls for 20 yards against Northern Illinois and will continue to get regular targets this season. I'm backing him to score at up to 20%.
Iowa State vs Iowa touchdown parlay +290
- Jaylen Raynor anytime TD
- Kamari Moulton anytime TD
This matchup will see both teams try to grind things out on the ground. Normally, in a game where Iowa will likely jump out to a lead, you might expect Iowa State to respond by airing it out, but that has proven to be a dangerous tactic against the Hawkeyes in recent years.
The Cyclones may well put the ball in Raynor's hands more often if they fall behind, but they'll rely on his dual-threat ability to provide a test for the Iowa defense. And if they get the ball down by the goal line, Raynor will be the most likely (and safest) option to score.
That has me backing him alongside Moulton in my touchdown combo this week.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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