Hoping to extend their unbeaten streak, the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-0) take on the Purdue Boilermakers (2-8). The game will begin Saturday, Nov 21 at 12:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESP2.
Iowa beat Minnesota 40-35 last week. LeShun Daniels, Jr. had an outstanding performance running the ball in the victory, rushing 26 times for 195 yards and three TDs. C.J. Beathard put up 213 yards through the air. Purdue is hoping for a different outcome after getting beat by Northwestern 21-14. Domonique Young had a huge game for the Boilermakers, registering five catches for 107 yards and one TD. David Blough also had a big game with 287 yards and a TD through the air.
A close score is not projected this week when the Boilermakers, a huge 17-point underdog, take on Iowa.
Sitting at 10-0 Straight Up (SU) and 6-4 Against The Spread (ATS), the Hawkeyes will look to improve heading into Week 12. Iowa’s offense will face a weak Boilermakers run defense that ranks 114th in the country with 210.4 rushing yards allowed per game. As for the Iowa defense, a few key matchups could decide this game. Expect the Boilermakers to have a tough time running against the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes run defense, which gives up 104.6 yards per game on the ground. The Boilermakers need to watch out for Iowa’s tenacious defense. It averages the 17th-most turnovers with two per game. The Hawkeyes are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 9.8 points. Iowa can top most teams in terms of time of possession. The Hawkeyes have an average time of possession of 34:33 per game for fifth-highest in the nation.
Across the field, the Boilermakers have a record of 5-5 ATS and 2-8 SU. In the previous five games, Purdue has a record of 1-4 SU and 3-2 ATS. Passing the ball is important for the Boilermakers. They attempt 40 throwing plays per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Hawkeyes to keep up with Purdue’s defense in a few areas. The Hawkeyes are matching up with Purdue’s defense at an inopportune time. Over the last five games, Purdue’s opponents have only averaged 231.2 yards through the air.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa
Notes
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa’s last 5 games.
Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 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 5 games at home.
Iowa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Purdue.
Iowa is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Purdue.
Iowa is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Purdue.
Purdue is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Iowa is 9-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Purdue is winless (0-5 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, and an even 2-2 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Dating back to last year, Iowa is 10-4 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Purdue is just 2-12 SU against conference foes.
