Northwestern Wildcats vs Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Pick & Prediction 10/26/24
The Iowa Hawkeyes head into this week nine matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats as the -13.5 point favorites. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 ET from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, and the over/under line is currently at 37.5 points. The Iowa Hawkeyes are 4-3 on the season, while the Northwestern Wildcats are 3-4. You can catch this one on BTN.
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS VS IOWA HAWKEYES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Northwestern Wildcats +13.5
This game will be played at Kinnick Stadium at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 26th.
WHY BET THE NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS:
- We have the Iowa Hawkeyes winning this one by a score of 22 to 17
- Even though we like the Iowa Hawkeyes to win, our ATS pick is to take the Northwestern Wildcats at +13.5
- Look for this game to go over the line of 37.5 points
Will The Northwestern Wildcats Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Northwestern enters Week 9 with a 3-4 record, facing Iowa. They rank 78th in our power rankings and have a 13.5% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The Wildcats are 1-2 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.
They’ve been favored in just one game, going 1-0 as the favorite and 1-3 as the underdog. Northwestern’s average scoring margin is -0.6 points, and their ATS record stands at 2-3.
Their over/under record is 2-3, with an average line of 41.4 points. This week’s line is 37.5, the lowest they’ve seen, and their games have averaged 38.6 points.
Northwestern’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 19 points per game, which ranks 94th nationally. They are also 114th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. Their passing game has been particularly weak, with only 166 yards per game, and they have converted just 26.7% of their third-down attempts.
Jack Lausch leads the team with 808 passing yards, but he has a passer rating of just 72. Northwestern ranks 127th in passer rating nationally. Lausch has thrown four touchdowns and two interceptions. Cam Porter leads the rushing attack with 320 yards and five touchdowns. Bryce Kirtz has 414 receiving yards, but he has yet to score a touchdown.
Northwestern’s defense, ranked 27th nationally, has allowed 19.6 points per game this season. In their recent game against Wisconsin, they gave up 23 points, including two rushing touchdowns, while allowing 199 rushing yards and 160 passing yards, but they also managed to force an interception.
Opponents have averaged 246.7 passing yards per game against Northwestern, completing 62.7% of their throws. On the ground, Northwestern has been strong, ranking 22nd nationally by allowing just 105.1 rushing yards per game on an average of 31.3 attempts.
Are The Iowa Hawkeyes Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Iowa enters Week 9 against Northwestern with a 4-3 record, ranked 26th in our power rankings. They have a 94.7% chance of becoming bowl-eligible but only a 0.2% chance of winning the Big Ten. At home, the Hawkeyes are 2-1, while they’ve gone 1-2 on the road this season.
Their ATS record stands at 2-4, with an average scoring margin of +8.1 points per game. Iowa has been favored in five of their seven games, going 2-3 against the spread as the favorite.
Iowa’s over/under record is 5-1, with their games averaging 47.6 points. The average over/under line for their games has been 39.4 points, and this week’s line is set at 37.5 points.
Heading into week 9, Iowa’s offense is averaging 27.9 points per game, placing them 56th in the nation. They rank 65th in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing attack is the strength of the offense, averaging 210.3 yards per game on 36.3 attempts.
Kaleb Johnson has rushed for 1,035 yards, averaging 7 yards per carry, and has scored 13 touchdowns. Quarterback Cade McNamara has thrown for 944 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 79.
Despite their defensive ranking of 28th nationally, allowing 19.7 points per game, Iowa’s defense struggled in their recent 32-20 loss to Michigan State, giving up 32 points. They allowed 470 total yards, including 214 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 256 passing yards, though they did manage to force one interception.
Opponents have averaged 224.9 passing yards per game against Iowa, completing 65.8% of their passes, which ranks Iowa 133rd in completion percentage allowed. On the ground, Iowa’s defense has faced the 23rd fewest rushing attempts nationally, allowing 113.1 rushing yards per game, ranking 33rd in the country.