Iowa State vs. Kansas State Predictions: Player Props for August 23

The College Football season is finally here! All of the excitement has led to Week Zero, which officially kicks off one of the most exciting times in sports. The MLB season is wrapping up in the next month, the NFL is right around the corner, and the NHL and NBA will be here before you know it. 

While we’re more than ready for all of these sports to be going on at once, we’re also okay with taking it one step at a time, which is exactly what Week Zero brings. There aren’t that many marquee matchups this weekend, but we have directed our attention towards the only game that features two ranked opponents: Iowa State Vs. Kansas State. 

This has the potential to be a fantastic matchup between two Big 12 rivals, and we have been studying Underdog’s player props ahead of this one, hoping to sweep the board in the first college game of the year. Let’s get into our favorite picks!

Avery Johnson OVER 51.5 Rushing Yards

After lots of debate between his passing and rushing totals, we ended up taking the over on Avery Johnson’s rushing yards in this one. Johnson is a solid quarterback, and he’ll have to develop as a passer if Kansas State wants any chance at a playoff berth this year, but he’s more reliable as a rusher.

He had 52+ rushing yards in seven games last year, including his final three games of the season. One of those games was actually against Iowa State, where he logged 64 yards on 13 attempts, and we’re confident in his ability to replicate that to kick off the season. 

Rocco Becht UNDER 228.5 Passing Yards

We were a bit surprised to see how high Rocco Becht’s passing yardage line was, especially for the first game of the season. He had a lackluster performance against Kansas State last year, throwing for just 137 yards, giving us trepidation to take any overs for him until further notice.

Becht did have a strong game against Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last year, but we’re projecting him to need time to shake off the rust, ultimately going under his projection. 

Carson Hansen OVER 57.5 Rushing Yards

While we’re projecting a lighter night for Becht in the passing game, it’s full steam ahead for Carson Hansen in the rushing attack. Hansen was their leading rusher last season, averaging five yards per carry, and he’s slated to have even more of a load this year.

Kansas State’s rushing defense was a top 30 unit in the country last year, which could put a definite ceiling on Hansen’s output, but hitting 60+ yards shouldn’t be a problem, especially if he gets 15+ attempts.