Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information.

One of the most cherished rivalries in college football will write a new chapter Saturday afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium in beautiful Ames, Iowa.

The Cy-Hawk Game, the annual matchup between Iowa State and Iowa, is set to kick off at 12 p.m. ET.

The No. 16 Cyclones (2-0) are 2.5-point favorites over the Hawkeyes (1-0), with the total sitting at a very Cy-Hawk appropriate 41.5 points.

The last six meetings between Iowa State and Iowa have split 4-2 in favor of the latter, but the Cyclones have won two of the last three.

That said, Iowa State hasn’t defeated Iowa at home since 2011, which is a trend its expected to reverse, at least according to the bookies.

Perhaps the most notable trend in this rivalry is that it is dominated by defense.

The last six meetings have averaged 30.7 points. Two of those contests ended with less than 20 points on the scoreboard.

Those days could be over, however, as both teams have stressed offensive improvement in the last few years.

Iowa State put up 24 points against Kansas State in its opener and then 55 against South Dakota in Week 2, while Hawkeye Nation is ecstatic about the potential of quarterback Mark Gronowski, a transfer from South Dakota State.

“Iowa has a quarterback,” is the slogan being bandied around the Hawkeye State.

Given the history of this game, you can see why bookmakers are still expecting a low-scoring affair.

Only one of the last six encounters eclipsed the 40-point mark, and that game featured the only time either side of this rivalry scored more than 20 points.

Against all better judgment, we’ll project that this game really opens up for the first time since 2017.

If Iowa truly has a quarterback, there is no better time to unleash him than against your bitter rival.

The Play: Over 41.5 points (-110, FanDuel)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.