Iowa Hawkeyes College Football Betting
The Iowa Hawkeyes probably won’t win the Big Ten West since they have already lost to Northwestern, but they could close out their season with six straight wins. This has been the most impressive defense in the conference, and that side of the ball has led Iowa to three straight blowout wins. Iowa will look to pick up a fourth straight win against a reeling Nebraska team that lost to Illinois last week. The Hawkeyes are nearly two-touchdown underdogs as of Monday afternoon per the current college football betting odds.
We will see Nebraska come to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes on Friday, November 27, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. This is slated to be one of 10 games on Black Friday.
Iowa Hawkeyes Weekly Odds
Iowa Hawkeyes -13
Nebraska Cornhuskers +13
Total 51
Iowa Hawkeyes Weekly Matchup
If you’ve watched Iowa for more than 30 minutes this season, you know that this is one of the best defenses Kirk Ferentz has had over the last two decades. The Hawkeyes are currently second in defensive SP+, and they are allowing just 2.6 YPC. Opponents haven’t been able to do much against this secondary either averaging just 6.1 YPA with 10 interceptions.
Scott Frost had great quarterbacks during his time at UCF, but he has not been as fortunate since taking over Nebraska. He has not found a reliable signal caller, and both Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey have underwhelmed. Martinez is completing 58.7 percent of his passes for 5.9 YPA while averaging 7.0 YPC, and McCaffrey is completing 64.7 percent of his passes for 6.4 YPA and running for 5.7 YPC. McCaffrey has looked more promising as a freshman, yet he has also thrown five interceptions in just 68 attempts.
There is no real passing game, and the leading receiver is averaging just 7.2 YPR. McCaffrey and Martinez lead the team in rushing, while Dedrick Mills is averaging a scant 3.1 YPC.
This offense is still ranked 41st in offensive SP+, but it hasn’t been pretty.
Iowa’s offense hasn’t been pretty either. Spencer Petras has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, and it’s clear that Ferentz wants to keep the ball out of his hands. The sophomore is averaging 5.8 YPA, and he isn’t a real mobile threat.
The ground game has been solid though. Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent have been an effective one-two punch with Goodson averaging 5.5 YPC and Sargent running for 6.4 YPC.
They combine to wear defenses down over the course of games. Goodson has been a little bit of a receiving threat too, buoying a unit that doesn’t have a player with more than 165 receiving yards.
The vaunted ‘Blackshirts’ are clearly a thing of the past. Nebraska wore those uniforms for the first time in 2020 last week against Illinois, and the Cornhuskers ended up losing at home to the Illini for the first time in nearly a century. They allowed 490 yards and 41 points to Illinois, and this defense is now 76th in defensive SP+.
Iowa Hawkeyes Weekly Recap
The oddsmakers didn’t give Iowa much respect headed into its battle with Penn State last week. Although the Hawkeyes were very impressive in blowout wins over Michigan State and Minnesota, they opened as a two-point favorite in Happy Valley and closed at a pick ‘em.
That seemed like the right decision in the first quarter as Penn State took a 7-3 lead on Iowa, but it was all Hawkeyes from that point forward. They led 31-7 midway through the third quarter on their way to a 41-21 victory over the Nittany Lions.
Turnovers doomed Penn State once more. Sean Clifford and Will Levis both turned the ball over twice, and a 71-yard Daviyon Nixon interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter capped off the scoring.
Petras wasn’t great, but he didn’t hurt Iowa in the win, while Sargent and Goodson combined to carry the ball 35 times for 179 yards and three touchdowns.
2020 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Score |
| Oct 24 |
@ Purdue |
L 20-24 |
| Oct 31 |
vs. Northwestern |
L 20-21 |
| Nov 7 |
vs. Michigan State |
W 49-7 |
| Nov 13 |
@ Minnesota |
W 35-27 |
| Nov 21 |
@ Penn State |
W 41-21 |
| Nov 27 |
vs. Nebraska |
- |
| Dec 5 |
@ Illinois |
- |
| Dec 12 |
vs. Wisconsin |
- |
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