Iowa State Cyclones (5-4) vs. TCU Horned Frogs (6-2)
November 8, 2025 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: TCU Horned Frogs -5.5; Over/Under: 55.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Iowa State Cyclones and the TCU Horned Frogs meet Saturday in college football action from Amon G Carter Stadium. Here’s a TCU vs Iowa State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best TCU vs Iowa State pick.
Iowa State Cyclones Betting Preview
The Cyclones got off to a nice start this season, rattling off a solid win streak to kick things off. Iowa State took out Kansas State, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas State and Arizona during a five-game winning stretch, then fell in a tough one on the road versus Cincinnati in game six. Since then the Cyclones have continued their losing skid, falling versus Colorado and BYU in the next pair. In the loss to the Cougars on October 25, the Cyclones were up 17-7 by the end of the first quarter then gave up double-digit points in each of the final three frames in a 41-27 loss. The Iowa State offense posted 495 yards with 311 pass yards, 7.1 yards per play and 24 first downs but also had four turnovers—three of those being interceptions—in the defeat.
In their latest outing on Saturday versus Arizona State, the Cyclones bagged another loss. Iowa State was down by one point going into the second half and could only manage a field goal from there in a 24-19 defeat. QB Rocco Becht finished 18-of-36 for 186 yards, one TD and one interception while leading rusher Carson Hansen added 18 carries for 113 yards. Becht added a rush score, and leading receiver Chase Sowell had six receptions for 85 yards in the loss.
TCU Horned Frogs Betting Preview
Over on the TCU side, they looked pretty good right out of the gate this season. The Frogs beat North Carolina, Abilene Christian and SMU in their first three before a tight road loss to Arizona State. TCU bounced back with a win over Colorado then fell to Kansas State before a win over Baylor. In the October 18 win over the Bears, TCU posted 427 yards on offense with 231 pass yards, 6.2 yards per play and 21 first downs with a 6-of-13 result on third-down tries. The defense gave up 439 yards on the other side but also had a nice four takeaways.
In their latest game back on October 25 versus West Virginia, the Horned Frogs jumped out to a 20-7 lead by the break. TCU was outscored 10-3 from there but held on for the win 23-17 in the end. QB Josh Hoover was 24-of-39 for 247 yards and a touchdown while Trent Battle led the rush with his 19 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. Leading the way among receivers in the road victory was Eric McAlister with nine grabs for 124 yards and a TD of his own.
TCU vs Iowa State Prediction
I’ll stay with TCU. The Frogs have been a bit more sluggish in the second half over their last couple of games, but they’re getting the job done. TCU held West Virginia to just 41 rush yards and 3-of-14 on third downs in their latest victory, while the offense managed 343 yards, 19 first downs and no turnovers. The 6-of-16 on third-down conversions was pretty ugly, though. The Frogs are scoring pretty well this year, with 23 or more points in every game so far.
As for Iowa State, they’ve fallen quite a ways from their early-season heights. In their latest defeat the Cyclones scored just three points after halftime and went a total of 2-of-14 on third-down conversion attempts. Iowa State is giving up some pretty decent points totals these days as well, so TCU should have a decent shot here.
