Ohio State vs. Iowa Prediction
Will No. 3 Ohio State have a letdown performance today when the Buckeyes go on the road to face Iowa at 3:30PM ET in Big Ten action?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Ohio State is favored on the road in this game, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -18 points against Iowa. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 52.5 points. Ohio State has won five straight meetings with Iowa, but both teams are 2-2-1 ATS in those five meetings. The public is currently putting 51 percent of the wagers on Iowa at home in this game. Today’s contest takes place from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. The contest airs live on ESPN.
Iowa is coming off a 17-10 win over Minnesota last week to move to 5-3 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are just 3-4-1 against the spread this season, but all three covers have come at home. Iowa has been relying on defense this year, as the Hawkeyes are giving up just 17.4 points and 368.8 yards per contest. Offensively, Iowa is averaging just 25 points and 345.9 yards per game. Nathan Stanley has thrown for 1,703 yards and 17 touchdowns this season to lead the team while Akrum Wadley has 643 rushing yards and five scores.
Ohio State is coming off a big 39-38 win over Penn State last weekend at home. The Buckeyes improved to 7-1 on the season with the win and 5-0 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is 4-4 against the spread in 2017, including 3-0 ATS on the road. Ohio State has one of the best offenses in the nation, putting up 46.3 points and 571.3 yards per game in 2017. J.T. Barrett has emerged as a leading Heisman candidate in recent weeks. He has thrown for 2,166 yards and 25 touchdowns with just one interception, while also rushing for 454 yards and five scores. J.K. Dobbins is the team’s leading rusher with 863 yards and five scores while Parris Campbell is the leading receiver with 29 catches for 410 yards. Campbell may be unavailable for this game due to a concussion.
I see this point spread and don’t like it at all for Ohio State, but all of the trends tell me to take the Buckeyes. Ohio State is coming off an emotional win and now has to hit the road to face a team that has been a tough out at home. However, Iowa has been struggling at home and the road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four games of this series. Ohio State has seemingly played better on the road this year and Iowa is just 1-3-1 ATS in its last five against a winning team.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: OHIO STATE -18