The South Dakota Coyotes take on the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Iowa State is favored by -15.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -750. South Dakota, meanwhile, comes in at +525 to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 47.5 points.
Here’s my South Dakota vs. Iowa State prediction and college football picks for Saturday, August 30.
South Dakota vs Iowa State Prediction
- South Dakota vs. Iowa State Pick: Iowa State -14.5
My Iowa State vs. South Dakota best bet is on the Cyclones to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
South Dakota vs Iowa State Odds, Spread
| South Dakota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -110 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | +525 |
| Iowa State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -110 | 46.5 -110o / -110u | -750 |
- South Dakota vs Iowa State Point Spread: Iowa State -15.5
- South Dakota vs Iowa State Total: 46.5 points
- South Dakota vs Iowa State ML: Iowa State -750, South Dakota +525
South Dakota vs Iowa State College Football Betting Preview
South Dakota Coyotes Betting Preview: A New Era
Last season, the South Dakota Coyotes found a new high-water mark for the football program. They finished 11-3 and landed in the FCS semifinals, losing to eventual national champion North Dakota State in thrilling fashion, 29-28.
Repeating that 2024 season will be tough.
USD produced two 1,100-yard rushers and one of them, senior Travis Theis (1,194), returns.
Quarterback Aidan Bouman also returns after throwing for nearly 3,000 yards on 68% passing with 19 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
But that's about all the Coyotes return.
Bouman must find a whole new cast of receivers to throw to — his top four are gone from last year after accounting for over 2,000 yards — and only one offensive lineman returns.
Theis serves as a viable target out of the backfield, collecting 33 receptions last season, good for the fourth-most on the team. FCS contenders are used to finding new blood to account for transfer portal losses, but for a program in new territory, it's a challenge.
The other major challenge for USD is the turnover in leadership. Bob Nielson retired following the semifinal run after 32 years of service for South Dakota.
Defensive coordinator Travis Johansen was an internal promotion. That's a good move to keep the culture, but losing the program's most prolific head coach counts for something.
This is a team that landed in the preseason FCS top five and rates along with the likes of Troy and Western Kentucky among all D-I programs. Respectable, to say the least.
Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview: Starting 1-0
Ask Matt Campbell and he'll take the win earned in Ireland last week, but give him truth serum, and he'll tell you it wasn't fun getting there.
Iowa State squeaked by Kansas State thanks to some questionable coaching on the opposite sideline and a controversial spot on a critical fourth down. But, alas, the Cyclones started 1-0.
Turnovers marred the early game, resulting in a 7-7 stalemate at halftime. But Iowa State found legs (literally) in the second half with Carson Hansen racking up 71 yards on 16 carries.
The offense moved the ball much more efficiently in the second half, icing the game on a big Hansen catch-and-run downed at the 1-yard line.
Quarterback Rocco Becht managed to find a couple of new targets in the absence of two NFL-caliber receivers. Sophomore Brett Eskildsen hauled in a touchdown pass and averaged 15.3 yards on three catches.
The Cyclones return to the States this week with a major game looming in Week 3 against in-state rival Iowa.
A combination of jitters, poor playing conditions and an irregular setting resulted in an ugly showing to begin the 2025 season. I'm taking almost no stake in the early going, as that's a one-way ticket to Overreaction City. That's outlier data.
The biggest takeaway from Week 0 was the number of multi-tight end sets offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser deployed. Maybe it was matchup-dependent, but against an FCS foe this week, I'd be surprised to see Iowa State abandon it.
South Dakota vs Iowa State Pick, Betting Analysis
Looking at this game a few weeks ago, I circled it as a prime trap spot for Iowa State. Coming back from overseas travel, sandwiched between two rivalry games in Kansas State and Iowa, against a semifinalist FCS team, it all seemed like a great spot to back South Dakota.
But the last few weeks saw one-sided action on the Coyotes, and this number has simply fallen too far.
Iowa State has a poor recent track record against FCS foes, covering just 3-of-13 spreads, most recently failing to cover against North Dakota last year in a 21-3 win.
South Dakota, conversely, has a strong track record against FBS foes, covering 8-of-11 spreads.
Over the last three seasons, Iowa State may not have covered massive spreads, but it beat FCS opponents by 18, 21 and 32 points — all respectable numbers.
USD faces a ton of turnover, some of which came later in the offseason.
Johnson was an internal promotion to head coach, but the Coyotes lost their star left tackle in the transfer portal, and he now projects to start at Cincinnati. Just six total starters return from last year's squad, although Bouman is among them.
Iowa State managed to iron out some of the early jitters in Ireland, scoring on three straight second-half possessions, then ending the game on a 12-play, six-minute drive.
I anticipate a more cleaned-up game from the Cyclones to prepare them for the Cy-Hawk Game next week. This number simply dropped too low, and 14 appears to be the resistance mark.
Pick: Iowa State -14.5
