It is time to continue our college football odds series with an Iowa-Minnesota prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Iowa-Minnesota.
The Iowa Hawkeyes had, on paper, a very favorable schedule in 2024, so favorable that the College Football Playoff and a top-four Big Ten finish were put forth as real possibilities for Kirk Ferentz's team. The playoff and a top-four Big Ten finish weren't necessarily seen as likely outcomes, but they were taken very seriously and were seen as “in play” for this team. Through Week 3 of the season, Iowa doesn't seem remotely ready to live up to those standards and obtain those achievements. The Hawkeyes stepped on a rake when they blew a 13-point lead at home to Iowa State in Week 2. That was an unmitigated disaster for the Hawkeyes — not just losing a rivalry game, but displaying complete control in the first half only to squander a double-digit lead on their home field. That should simply never happen against an opponent which is not clearly superior to Iowa. Then the Hawkeyes beat Troy but did not look convincing in doing so. Iowa gave up a number of very big pass plays to the Troy offense. It's hard to say that Iowa is doing anything at a level which is elite or anywhere close to it. The Hawkeyes need to be dramatically better if they are going to survive in the Big Ten this season.
Forget about the playoff for now. Iowa needs to stack together several good performances. Then we can check back on the Hawkeyes in mid-October and see if they are ready to make a real run in the Big Ten. Right now, this team isn't playing well enough to merit that kind of discussion and that kind of respect. Iowa needs to earn respect in the Floyd of Rosedale rivalry game against Minnesota, and then in subsequent weeks as well.
Here are the Iowa-Minnesota College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Iowa-Minnesota Odds
Iowa: -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -134
Minnesota: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +112
Over: 36.5 (-105)
Under: 36.5 (-115)
How to Watch Iowa vs Minnesota
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: NBC, Peacock
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Iowa Could Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa is not playing well, but it is a better team than Minnesota and should be able to contain Minnesota's passing game. Iowa's pass defense struggled against Troy, but Troy's passing game is better than Minnesota's. Iowa should be able to put the clamps on the Golden Gophers and do enough to win. The spread is under a field goal. Iowa can easily win a 16-13 kind of ballgame. It wouldn't be the first time that happened in this series, or in any Iowa game during the Ferentz era. Minnesota looks like one of the worst teams in the Big Ten — perhaps better than UCLA and Northwestern, but not better than most of the teams in the conference. The Gophers annually struggle on offense, and Iowa is not an opponent which should allow Minnesota to get healthy.
Why Minnesota Could Cover The Spread/Win
Iowa is playing bad football. Even in the win over Troy, the Hawkeyes made a lot of mistakes and did not establish anything close to their normal defensive standard. If Iowa's defense plays as poorly against Minnesota as it did versus Troy, Minnesota should definitely win this game. It has been hard for Minnesota to score against Iowa, but if the Hawkeyes regress on defense, that's all UM will need to win.
Final Iowa-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Iowa is struggling but should be able to improve enough to win this game by at least a field goal. Take Iowa.
Final Iowa-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Iowa -2.5
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