South Dakota vs Iowa State Prediction, Picks & Odds for August 30 — College Football Week 1

Our expert college football predictions expect a high-scoring battle between South Dakota and Iowa State.

Eric Rosales - Contributor at Covers.com
Eric Rosales • Betting Analyst
Aug 29, 2025 • 14:11 ET • 4 min read

NCAAF

Match starts: 22 hrs
ISU
0 %
SDAK
0 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
o47.5 (-110)
Read Analysis
Rocco Becht of Iowa State
Photo By - Imagn Images. Rocco Becht of Iowa State.

After a successful debut in Ireland, the 22nd-ranked Iowa State Cyclones are back and will host FCS-level opposition in the South Dakota Coyotes.

The Cyclones are heavy favorites, sitting as a 14.5-point home favorite, but the jetlag factor looms over all – so much so that the books haven't even released a menu of props early into Friday morning.

Let's break down South Dakota vs. Iowa State predictions and college football picks for Saturday, August 30. 

South Dakota vs Iowa State prediction

South Dakota vs Iowa State Best bet: Over 47.5 points (-110)

Look, all I know is that in the NFL, teams that play the international game usually take a bye week to get the system back into North American rhythms.

The Iowa State Cyclones don't have that luxury, and they're taking on a team that's a level below them, but pretty stout in their own right.

South Dakota went 11-3 last year, including 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Throw in the fact that starting QB Aidan Bouman is an ex-Cyclone who transferred to South Dakota in 2022, and that adds some intrigue.

Iowa State averaged 31.1 points last year and had some big scoring games at home, hanging 52 on Arkansas State, 43 on Baylor, and 38 on UCF.

They had an MVFC opponent to start the season last year and won 21-3 over North Dakota. But Iowa State has a game under its belt, and its offensive output should be better enough to carry this total to the Over.

South Dakota vs Iowa State same-game parlay

It was a light day at the office for Rocho Becht, who threw for just 183 yards against Kansas State. He's not generally a slow starter: in 2024, he threw for at least 233 yards in seven of the first nine.

He also faced MVFC competition in Week 1 last year and put up 267 yards passing against North Dakota. He should be able to get what he wants against South Dakota.

TE Gabe Burkle has emerged as a legitimate target for Becht, and he picked up 31 yards on three grabs in the opener. He's got a gettable 25.5 receiving yard line Saturday, a number he's topped in five of his last six games.

Our deep-ball SGP: Becht Shines!

To say Chase Sowell's debut with ISU was quiet was an understatement, with zeroes across the board. He should get involved on Saturday, but I think he'll be eased in lightly.

Becht had nine games with 2+ TD passes last year, and started this year with two passing scores, the fourth straight he's done that. I like him hitting that number again against the Coyotes.

South Dakota vs Iowa State odds

  • South Dakota vs. Iowa State spread: Iowa State -14.5 (-110)
  • South Dakota vs. Iowa State moneyline: South Dakota +480, Iowa State -690
  • South Dakota vs. Iowa State Over/Under: 47.5 (-110)

South Dakota vs Iowa State betting trend to know

The Cyclones are 5-5-0 against the spread in their last 10 games. Find more college football betting trends for South Dakota vs Iowa State.

How to watch South Dakota vs Iowa State

Location Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
Date Saturday, August 30, 2025
Kickoff 3:30 p.m. ET
TV FOX

South Dakota vs Iowa State latest injuries

South Dakota vs Iowa State weather

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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Eric Rosales - Covers
Betting Analyst

Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.

Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.

When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.

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