Iowa Hawkeyes vs Iowa State Cyclones Same-Game Parlay
- Cade McNamara 1+ Alt Touchdown Pass (-270)
- Luke Lachey 40+ Alt Receiving Yards (-122)
- Iowa Moneyline (-152)
- Alternate Total Under 38.5 Points (-172)
Parlay Odds: +491 via FanDuel
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
In Week 1, Iowa State and Iowa both won comfortably at home against FCS opponents, which means both teams will be undefeated entering the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy.
This week, the Hawkeyes will have head coach Kirk Ferentz back on the sidelines after a one-game suspension.
When these in-state rivals get together, a couple of things are usually true: the Hawkeyes usually win, and there are not a lot of points scored.
That will be the theme of this same-game parlay.
Cade McNamara 1+ Touchdown Pass (-270)
After transferring in from Michigan, Cade McNamara's first season in Iowa City did not go according to plan. He played in just four games and when he did play, he was not very effective. He completed just 51% of his passes and threw four touchdown passes.
However, he nearly matched that total in the season opener. Against Illinois State, McNamara went 21-for-31 for 251 yards and three touchdown passes.
While he did not throw a touchdown against ISU last year, the Cyclones were more vulnerable through the air. Last season, Iowa State allowed 229 passing yards per game and 21 touchdowns compared to 135 rushing yards per game and 13 rushing touchdowns.
While I would expect Iowa State to put more resistance than Illinois State, McNamara likely throws a touchdown pass if Iowa scores an offensive touchdown or two. One of them might even be to his standout tight end.
Luke Lachey 40+ Receiving Yards (-122)
Over the past few decades, Iowa has developed a reputation for being “Tight End U” with NFL stars like Dallas Clark, George Kittle, TJ Hockenson and Sam LaPorta manning the position.
Luke Lachey was expected to be next up after catching 28 passes for 398 yards and four touchdowns while splitting time with LaPorta as a sophomore. He looked well on his way last year, catching 10 passes for 131 yards through his first two games.
Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury against the Cyclones. Before going down, he had three receptions for 58 yards. Now, he has a bit more motivation entering this year’s matchup.
In Week 1, tight ends remained the focal point of Iowa’s offense, even with a new offensive coordinator. Of McNamara’s 21 completions, 10 went to tight ends, eight went to wide receivers and the other three went to running backs.
Lachey hauled in six of those passes for 63 yards.
He has gone over 50 yards in each of his last three games and in five of his last six games dating back to the 2022 season. That gives me confidence that he reaches 40 yards in this matchup, and he should get there with three or four receptions.
Iowa Moneyline (-152)
Iowa State won the first meeting in the series, but the series has since been dominated by the Hawkeyes.
Iowa leads the series, 47-23, and has won eight of the last 10 meetings. Since Matt Campbell took over in Ames, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have won six of the last meetings.
Typically, the Hawkeyes dominate this game with their defense, and that may be the case once again.
The Hawkeyes enter the week leading the nation in SP+ defensively. Last season, the Hawkeyes allowed 10.7 points per game at home and went 7-1 at Kinnick Stadium, which remains one of the nation's toughest places to play.
Linebacker Jay Higgins and safety Xavier Nwankpa are a pair of returning leaders on the Iowa defense. Defensive lineman Aaron Graves will look to build on his dominant Week 1 performance when he had three sacks after entering the season with 4.5 through his first two seasons.
Meanwhile, Iowa State's offense ranks 63rd in SP+ and didn't set the world on fire with 21 points and 353 total yards against North Dakota. It has also scored 20 points against Iowa in just two of the last 10 meetings.
Alternate Total Under 38.5 Points (-170)
Iowa State vs Iowa, 3:30 p.m. ET
In this series, the under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings. Four of the last five meetings have had 35 points or less. The total is 35.5 this year, and I'm moving it a smidge to move past the key number of 38 points.
The teams combined to give up just three points against overmatched FCS teams last week.
Iowa State's game finished with 24 points. Iowa's game featured 40 points, but the Hawkeyes were sluggish in the first half and went into halftime up, 6-0, before scoring 34 in the second half.
While I'm backing McNamara and Lachey in this game, I'm not expecting Iowa to suddenly turn into 2019 LSU because of a new offensive coordinator.
A 20-14 Iowa victory gives us the under and Iowa moneyline. Provided McNamara and Lachey come through, it likely cashes this parlay as well.
