Northwestern vs Iowa Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks
Double Offensive Trouble
Northwestern hits the road to take on Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. As the over/under total suggests, the Wildcats (1-6, 1-3) and Hawkeyes (3-4, 1-3) have some of the worst offenses in college football. Both teams desperately need a win as Iowa is on a three-game losing streak, while Northwestern has lost six straight. Which Big Ten West squad will come out on top?
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports and college football lines for Northwestern vs Iowa. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Northwestern Is a Disaster
Everything has gone wrong for Northwestern. At this rate, the Wildcats will be lucky to win more than two games. Finding any positives about this team is grasping at straws. Northwestern ranks 113th in points per game and 96th in allowed yards per game. Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s seat is getting hotter by the week.
On offense, quarterback Ryan Hilinski, a South Carolina transfer, was horrible in six games. Last week, Brendan Sullivan took over as the starting signal-caller. He completed 18 of 24 but had two interceptions.
Northwestern’s passing game has been conservative at 6.6 yards attempt (90th), taking few downfield shots. To make matters worse, the rushing attack is averaging only 3.4 yards per attempt. Third downs (75th) have been another area of weakness, but the Wildcats were 9 of 14 in Week 8 against Maryland. Northwestern will find more success with sustained drives.
At times, the Wildcats’ secondary has played well. However, the run defense cannot say the same. In the 31-24 loss to Maryland, the Wildcats surrendered 257 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry.
Iowa’s Offense has No Answers
In last week’s embarrassing 54-10 loss to No. 2 Ohio State, Iowa finally made a quarterback change. Spencer Petras threw some comically bad interceptions, which led to backup Alex Padilla stepping in at QB. Padilla looked no better with five completions for 32 passing yards and an interception. There is no fixing the Hawkeyes’ offense.
The offense averages 15.2 points (122nd) and 237.9 yards (130th). Iowa totals 2.8 yards per carry (123rd) and 5.7 yards per pass attempt (117th). There’s no down-the-field threat on this unit whatsoever. Defenses can stack the box without repercussions. The Hawkeyes’ struggling run game stands no chance when the passing game cannot keep defenses honest.
Iowa’s offensive situation could be the most frustrating in college football. The defense is good, allowing 18.3 points per game (12th) and 304.7 yards per game (10th). The secondary is talented with cornerbacks Riley Moss and Cooper DeJean. Plus, the front seven does its fair share.
COOPER DEJEAN CROSS COUNTRY PICK 6! pic.twitter.com/7ol7nLY35N
— Heavens!👻 (@HeavensFX) September 24, 2022
Ohio State may have scored 54 points, but it could not find success on the ground at 2.2 yards per carry. Outside of games against Ohio State and Michigan, the Hawkeyes have not allowed over 10 points.
Northwestern vs Iowa Game Injuries
Northwestern vs Iowa Head-to-Head
Northwestern and Iowa are knotted at 2-2 over the last four matchups. However, the Wildcats have dominated on the road, winning three consecutive games in Iowa City.
Northwestern vs Iowa Game Information
- Game: Northwestern vs Iowa
- Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
- Day/Time: Saturday, Oct. 29th, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Northwestern vs Iowa Live Stream: ESPN
Northwestern vs Iowa Betting Lines
Northwestern vs Iowa Prediction
These horrid offenses are sure to deliver frights on Halloween weekend. The phrase “so bad it’s good” perfectly characterizes this matchup. Bad offenses can be entertaining for comedic purposes. Iowa’s defense is easily the best unit in this game. The Hawkeyes will hit the moneyline and cover by generating turnovers.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are listed at -11 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Iowa, you have a chance to win $909. The Northwestern Wildcats is +11.5, offering a chance to win $111 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Iowa Hawkeyes a 9.91%% chance to win, with the Northwestern Wildcats at 90.09%%.
