Iowa State vs Kansas State Prediction & Preview - 8/23/25

Last updated August 20, 2025

8:00 PM ET Aug 23

Iowa State vs Kansas State

Iowa State +3

-110

Jay

The first college football game of the 2025 season will take place in Ireland. Kansas State and Iowa State will travel to Dublin to play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. This neutral-site opener is also a high-stakes Big 12 game as both of these ranked teams will look to get a win to start their season. Before this game kicks off the season, continue reading to get my Iowa State vs Kansas State prediction from Europe.

Our Iowa State vs Kansas State Prediction

Pick: Iowa State +3
Bonus Bets: Hit the button on this page to claim our DraftKings Sportsbook bonus. You can bet $5 on this game and get $200 in bonus bets INSTANTLY along with over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket.

DraftKings Sportsbook

4.8

DraftKings Sportsbook Review

One of the Largest Gambling Sites in the US
Offers Casino, Sportsbook & DFS
Great Promotions

Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + Over $200 Off NFL Sunday Ticket

Promo Code:

NONE NEEDED

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new DraftKings customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Get 1 promo code to redeem discounted NFL Sunday Ticket subscription and max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. NFL Sunday Ticket: YouTube TV base plan (not included in this offer) required to watch NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. Subscription autorenews yearly at then-current price (currently $378 for YouTube TV subscribers, or $480 for YouTube subscribers); cancel anytime. Terms, restrictions, embargoes and eligibility requirements apply. No refunds. Digital only games excluded. Commercial use excluded. Addt’l terms: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/nflsundayticket/draftkings/. Offer ends 9/29/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

Matchup Details

Matchup: Iowa State vs Kansas State
Date & Time: Saturday, August 23, 2025, 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
Broadcast: ESPN
Point Spread: Kansas State -3
Over/Under: 49.5

Key Storylines

This marks Iowa State’s first-ever game outside the United States and the first-ever Big 12 game played in Ireland. Kansas State last played abroad in 1992 in Tokyo against Nebraska. Iowa State enters fresh off an 11–3 season and a Big 12 regular-season title last year. Kansas State had with a strong showing last year but finished behind the Cyclones in the Big 12 standings. Iowa State got a 29–21 win over K-State in 2024 and leads the all-time series.

Offensive Outlook

Kansas State returns dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson. Johnson amassed over 2,700 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 605 rushing yards with seven rushing scores in 2024. His ability to both run and throw give K-State tough offense to defend against. Iowa State returns a quality quarterback of their own. Rocco Becht had a nice 2024 season and will look to build on that starting in this game.

Betting Trends & H2H

Iowa State was 8–6 against the spread last season and turned a profit for those who backed them in their college football picks across the entire season. Kansas State struggled at 4–9 ATS and went 1–5 ATS in their last six games. Iowa State is 4–0–1 against the spread in its last five games against Kansas State and the Cyclones went 2–1 ATS against ranked opponents last year.

Iowa State vs Kansas State Score Projection

Score Projection: Iowa State 27 – Kansas State 24
Win Probability: Iowa State 58%, Kansas State 42%

Final Thoughts

These teams are familiar with one another as conference rivals. But that is the only thing about this game that will be familiar to these teams thanks to the unique venue and travel situation. We have seen most teams struggle to play four consistent quarters of football in these Ireland games. Notre Dame was an exception but that was a blowout win over a service academy and not comparable to a power conference matchup.

I think we see both teams struggle to find consistent play in this game as well. We should have a close contest no matter which way this game goes and I will back Iowa State to cover the spread as an underdog. They could very well win outright in what should be a very entertaining game of American football from Ireland.