Northwestern Wildcats (3-4) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-3)
October 26, 2024 3:30 pm EDT
The Line: Iowa Hawkeyes -14; Over/Under: 37.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate an Iowa vs Northwestern Prediction for this College Football Week 9 game on Saturday, October 26th, at Kinnick Stadium. Let’s take a look at an Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats pick.
How Does Iowa Bounce Back?
Iowa sits with a 4-3 record overall, and they are coming off a bad loss in the last game. Iowa’s defense wasn’t good enough against Michigan State, giving up 32 points and that led to the 12 defeat. They allowed Aidan Chiles to throw for 258 yards, and that defense needs to be better. Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara completed 11 of his 23 passes for 150 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Star running back Kaleb Johnson finished with 14 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown.
Iowa on the season is averaging 27.9 points, while their defense is giving up 19.7 points per game. Iowa’s offense overall is ranked 73rd in the league, while the defense is ranked 31st in college football.
Northwestern’s Offense Looks to Be Better
Two games ago against Maryland, Northwestern scored 37 points, and they ended up winning by 27 points, but in the last game against Wisconsin, the offense scored only three points, and they ended up losing by 20 points. Under center for Northwestern in the last game was Jake Laush, and he completed 9 of his 24 passes for 82 yards. He did have a strong game on the ground by rushing 10 times for 55 yards. He was the top rusher, though, and they need a different running back to step up here.
Northwestern on the season is averaging 19 points, while their defense is giving up 19.6 points per game. The offense is ranked 73rd in the league, while the defense is ranked 31st in college football.
Why Northwestern Will Beat Iowa
- Northwestern has won four of its last six games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Northwestern has covered the spread in eight of its last 10 games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
Iowa vs Northwestern Prediction
This game is going to come down to what offense shows up for Northwestern. Will it be the offense that scored 27 points two games ago or the offense that only managed three points in the last game. I am not, so sure Northwestern is going to play all that well, but I don’t think Iowa will either, and that is going to be the difference here as they keep this game within a touchdown. Back Northwestern against the spread.
