The annual battle for the Heartland Trophy takes place Saturday when the visiting Wisconsin Badgers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Week 8 of NCAAF action. Wisconsin is just 1-2 in conference play so far this season so this is as much of a must-win game as it gets for the Badgers, who sit well back in the Big Ten standings.
SHARK BITES
- Iowa is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games against its conference.
- Wisconsin is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road.
- Iowa is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
Although struggling a bit in conference play, the Badgers have been almost an automatic cover this year. They are 5-1 so far against the spread despite losing their last two games and come into their game with the Hawkeyes as favorites against a team that has been one of the best ATS fades at home in NCAA Football the last two years.
Iowa took the most recent matchup for the Brass Bull in a 10-6 victory against Wisconsin on the Badgers’ home field. Before that contest, the Badgers won three consecutive games in this matchup, all on the Hawkeyes’ home field in Iowa City. The road team has won the last five games in this rivalry and is 7-3 since the two teams started competing for the Heartland Trophy in 2004.
The Badgers are 5-0 in their last five games against teams with winning records and can extend that streak this weekend against an Iowa team that isn’t ranked, despite being 3-1 against Big Ten competition.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Betting fans going with the Iowa Hawkeyes in this game found them listed as 2.5-point underdogs on the betting odds menu at Sportsbook earlier in the week.
Odds Shark computer prediction formulas pick a 21-15 win for the Badgers on Saturday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NCAAF matchups here.
Wisconsin Badgers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Iowa will face the 4-2 Wisconsin Badgers, who own a 5-1 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Iowa Hawkeyes are 3-4 so far this season while the Badgers are 2-4. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Iowa vs Wisconsin injuries news.
The OddsShark Power Rankings have the Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 33 and the Wisconsin Badgers at No. 22 heading into this contest.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Iowa's No. 58-ranked offense, averaging 30.86 PPG, against a Wisconsin defense that ranks No. 9 this week at 15.17 PPG. The Iowa aerial game is averaging 184.14 yards per game, less than the Wisconsin Badgers secondary allows through the air, 205.17 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Wisconsin Badgers own the league's No. 13-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 102.5 yards per game when on the road. Iowa, on the other hand, rates No. 113 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
In their last game, Wisconsin got a 164-yard performance from Corey Clement, but Ohio State prevailed 30-23.
Last time we saw the Boilermakers, they had no answer for Akrum Wadley as the Hawkeyes rolled to a 49-35 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
- Wisconsin is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
- Wisconsin is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 7 games
- Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Iowa is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
- Iowa is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa's last 6 games
- Iowa is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Wisconsin home to Nebraska, Saturday, October 29th
Iowa at Penn State, Saturday, November 5th
