7:05 pm
September 24

Iowa @ Rutgers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1)

@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-0)

 

Current odds:

Iowa Hawkeyes: (-345)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: (+267)

 

• The spread for this game is Iowa by 8.5 points.

• Do not expect a high-scoring shootout when Iowa meets Rutgers in both teams’ Big Ten opener Saturday at Piscataway, N.J. Not only do both teams rank top-10 nationally in total defense and top-25 in scoring defense, but both also have struggled to produce consistently on offense.

• The Hawkeyes (2-1) started the year by barely defeating FCS foe South Dakota State 7-3 with two safeties and a field goal rather than one touchdown. After falling to Iowa State 10-7, Iowa’s offense finally struck the right chord in last week’s 27-0 win over Nevada, as Kaleb Johnson ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries.

• Then there’s the Scarlet Knights (3-0), who dropped 66 points on FCS Wagner two weeks ago but squeaked by Temple 16-14 last Saturday without an offensive touchdown. Rutgers only managed 59 passing yards, instead winning with three field goals and a pick-6 by Shaquan Loyal.

• Rutgers must cope with a Hawkeyes defense tied for second in FBS with 13 total points allowed, including just one touchdown. And Iowa — which ranks last among 131 FBS teams with 217.7 yards per game — now faces a Rutgers defense allowing 240.3 per game, 10th in the nation.

• Two Rutgers quarterbacks will be game-time decisions, Schiano said: Gavin Wimsatt, who came up limping early in the Temple game and did not return, and senior Noah Vedral, who’s yet to play this year while recovering from an upper-body injury. Evan Simon started and took most of the snaps against Temple.

• The programs have only met twice since Rutgers joined the Big Ten. Iowa won 14-7 in 2016 and 30-0 in 2019.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Iowa Hawkeyes
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