Hawks -3 1/2 vs. ISU

wundergrape

Well-Known Member
With home field advantage, this is essentially being called a pick 'em.

I think the takeaway from these odds is that handicappers are unable to get a read on either team. Whatever happens on Saturday is going to tell us a whole lot.
 
I read somewhere that playing at Kinnick usually accounts for 5 or 6 points in our favor on the spread. Meaning Iowa State would be favored at a neutral site, a sad realization, especially after you consider they weren't even the favorites at home against Tulsa.
 
Last edited:
Can someone please explain to me how the spread works. I've never bet nor do I ever look at odds.
 
The opening spread is the most close to what the experts think. After that, the spread's only function is to ensure equal money is bet on both sides. The opening spread here was somewhere in the 6's. Money is flowing in right now, and the fact that the line has gotten closer is a function of bets pouring in on one side.
 
Can someone please explain to me how the spread works. I've never bet nor do I ever look at odds.

It's kind of counter-intuitive, but the team who has a "-" sign before their number is favored. The number itself represents the amount of points they are favored by.

Literally, it means that the betting house is identifying that number as "even money." This means that they believe that as many people will be willing to bet that Iowa State will lose by more than 3 1/2 points as there are people who are willing to bet that they will lose by 3 points or less or win the game. (Invariably, the odds number is typically skewed from "even money" in order to get bets placed against the way that Vegas thinks the game is going to go...but this is a somewhat mysterious practice that can be statistically ignored).

But the first way I put it is probably the easiest way to understand.
 
Last edited:
It's kind of counter-intuitive, but the team who has a "-" sign before their number is favored. The number itself represents the amount of points they are favored by.

Literally, it means that the betting house is identifying that number as "even money." This means that they believe that as many people will be willing to bet that Iowa State will lose by more than 3 1/2 points as there are people who are willing to bet that they will lose by 3 points or less or win the game. (Invariably, the odds number is typically skewed from "even money" in order to get bets placed against the way that Vegas thinks the game is going to go...but this is a somewhat mysterious practice that can be statistically ignored).

But the first way I put it is probably the easiest way to understand.
The money so far is 60% on ISU from the opening line, for what it is worth.
 
The money so far is 60% on ISU from the opening line, for what it is worth.

Not at all surprising. One team's coming off of a big win, the other's coming off of a Turd of Luck.

Vegas smartly put it at "home field advantage" in order to draw money on Iowa State. Can't say it's not a sensible bet.
 
I feel more confident being at home. Honestly, if we were in aimes this week, after seeing last weeks game, I would have guessed a loss. But, we have a shot now.
 
I just hope ISU doesn't remember what they did to Castillo in the redzone. He had a phenomenal game last week, but we can't forget how physically outmatched he was in the redzone last year.

Special teams, and corner when not near redzone is fine with me!!
 
Actually it was Keith Murphy that said it.

Murph said this last night on Soundoff but he was reiterating something that Ken Miller apparently told him. Per Murph he said Miller told him Kinnick is a 5 to 6 point stadium (in terms of point spreads). If you believe that, one could infer that if this game were at a neutral site the Clones would be favored. And I believe that is accurate, especially the way Vandenberg has played on the road thus far in his career.
 
Top