Hoping to extend their flawless record, the No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-0) play the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-5). The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov 14 and will be available on BTN and BTN2.
Iowa defeated Indiana 35-27 last week. Akrum Wadley had an outstanding performance running the ball in the victory, running 12 times for 120 yards and one TD. C.J. Beathard also had a big day, contributing 233 yards and a TD through the air. Minnesota didn’t have the same success as Iowa, getting beat by Ohio State 28-14. KJ Maye had a great game for the Golden Gophers, hauling in 10 balls for 116 yards and one TD. Mitch Leidner also had a big game with 281 yards and two TDs through the air.
The Hawkeyes, an 11-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Minnesota visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 46 points.
The Hawkeyes enter the game with records of 9-0 Straight Up (SU) and 6-3 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over its last five games, the Iowa rushing attack has averaged 212.0 yards per game. Transitioning to the Iowa defense, there are some things to keep in mind when it is on the field. The Golden Gophers might have a difficult time running the ball against the ninth-best run defense in the nation. The Hawkeyes give up 101.4 rushing yards per game. The Golden Gophers need to watch out for Iowa’s tenacious defense. It averages the 10th-most turnovers with 2.2 per game. The Hawkeyes are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 9.4 points. Iowa can top most teams in terms of time of possession. The Hawkeyes have an average time of possession of 33:20 per game for 16th-highest in the nation.
In the other locker room, the Golden Gophers have 4-5 SU and ATS records this season. Over their last five games, the Golden Gophers have a SU record of 1-4 and a 3-2 record ATS for those betting with them. Minnesota’s pass defense ranks 15th in the nation. This terrifying group gives up just 177.4 yards per game through the air.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa, O/U – Over
Notes
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Iowa’s last 7 games.
Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa’s last 6 games at home.
Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota.
Iowa is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota.
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 4-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Iowa is 7-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
Since the start of last season, Iowa is 9-4 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Minnesota is 6-7 SU against in-conference foes.
The Iowa rush defense is ranked ninth in the nation this year, and will look to contain the 104th-ranked offensive ground attack of Minnesota.
