Iowa vs. Iowa State Best College Football Prop Bets for Week 2

Sean Treppedi | Sep 5, 2025

Rocco Becht’s pinpoint efficiency and rhythm with new targets give him a strong chance to clear his passing yardage line even against Iowa’s disciplined defense. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cy-Hawk week rarely needs an extra hook, but the betting board always adds intrigue. 

This year, Iowa State sits as a slim favorite despite metrics that argue the gap should be wider, and that dynamic makes the player prop market especially rich. 

Both offenses bring contrasting identities — Iowa pounding the ground, Iowa State leaning into Rocco Becht’s accuracy — while the defenses dictate the script. 

With points likely at a premium, targeting individual performances rather than broad outcomes can provide the sharper edge. Here are three props worth circling ahead of Saturday’s rivalry.

Best Prop Bets for Iowa vs. Iowa State

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

• Rocco Becht Over 236.5 Passing Yards
• Mark Gronkowski Under Passing Yards
• Gabe Burkle Anytime Touchdown

Rocco Becht Over 236.5 Passing Yards

Becht’s efficiency to open the season has been staggering, completing 19 of 20 passes for 278 yards against South Dakota after a turnover-free win in Dublin against Kansas State. What stands out isn’t just the completion rate but the explosiveness layered in; he connected for three touchdowns and kept the Cyclones on schedule by avoiding negative plays.

Against Iowa, who limited UAlbany through raw defensive talent but allowed 36 minutes of possession, Becht will be tested in sustaining drives rather than gashing vertically. Still, his comfort in Matt Campbell’s offense and the rhythm with a deepening receiver corps give him a legitimate chance to clear a modest yardage line in a game where Iowa’s front dares him to win with quick throws.

Mark Gronkowski Under 136.5 Passing Yards

Gronowski barely threw the ball against Albany, finishing with just 44 yards on eight completions, and that wasn’t by accident. Iowa leaned entirely on its ground game for 310 yards, showing the coaching staff still doesn’t trust him to stretch defenses. That’s a dangerous profile heading into this matchup, because Iowa State has the athletes at linebacker and in the secondary to choke off check-downs and keep everything in front. With tempo expected to be slow and the Cyclones’ defense much stronger than what he saw in Week 1, it’s hard to envision Gronowski suddenly lighting up the stat sheet. 

Gabe Burkle Anytime Touchdown

Burkle flashed against South Dakota with 85 yards and a score, but the stat to underline is how Becht leaned on him in high-leverage spots. Iowa State went 9-for-10 on third downs, with Burkle serving as the safety valve who extended drives. Tight ends have historically been the quiet killers in this rivalry, as Iowa’s defense prioritizes taking away perimeter shots and forces quarterbacks to test the seams. Burkle’s size and knack for yards after contact (85 yards on just four catches) make him a natural red-zone target against a defense that is stingy between the 20s but vulnerable when length meets leverage. 

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