Iowa vs. Ohio State Prediction & Odds
Unranked Iowa heads to Columbus, OH to face number two Ohio State at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday. Can the Hawkeyes cover the spread as 30-point road underdogs?
Iowa is 3-3 on the year, and their best wins were over Rutgers and Nevada. The Hawkeyes’ worst losses came against Iowa State and Illinois. The Hawkeyes are 3-3 ATS on the season.
Ohio State is 6-0 on the year with their best wins coming against Notre Dame and Wisconsin. They are looking to remain undefeated on Saturday. The Buckeyes are 3-2-1 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
327 Iowa Hawkeyes +30 at 328 Ohio State Buckeyes -30; O/U 50
12:00 PM ET Saturday, October 22nd, 2022
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Iowa vs. Ohio State Public Betting Information
The public is favoring the Buckeyes in this game. Our CFB Public Betting Page shows that 63% of public bets are on Ohio State -30. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Iowa Game Notes
If Iowa is going to cover this game, it’s going to be because of their defense. The Hawkeyes are only allowing 4 yards per play to opposing offenses, which ranks third in the country. They’re led by their senior linebacker Jack Campbell. Campbell leads the Big Ten with 62 total tackles and he’s notched at least 10 tackles in three out of Iowa’s last four games. He should help stuff the run on Saturday.
Iowa has one of the best pass defenses in the nation. They rank second in the FBS in opponent yards per pass attempt (4.9) and fourth in opponent’s average passer rating (101.9). They have four defensive backs with at least one interception, but the best of the bunch is sophomore Cooper DeJean. DeJean has 5 passes defended, 3 interceptions, and one interception return for a touchdown in 2022. Iowa’s defense could make it more difficult than usual for Ohio State’s offense on Saturday.
Ohio State Game Notes
Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was projected to be a first-round draft pick before the start of the year and he’s been as good as advertised so far in 2022. Stroud is first in the nation in passer rating (207.6), and QBR (94.4). He’s tied for the national lead in touchdown passes (24) and leads all passers in yards per attempt (10.9).
Ohio State may be forced to try to pass as running the ball might be difficult. This is because the Buckeyes’ top two running backs (TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams) were listed as questionable for Saturday’s game with undisclosed injuries. They’ve both been upgraded to probable. If either of them is limited, Ohio State will likely turn to freshman running back Dallas Hayden, who has 250 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on the year. In other injury-related news, Ohio State star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is probable to play on Saturday in what would be his first game action in more than a month.
Iowa vs. Ohio State Betting Trends
The underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between Iowa and Ohio State.
The road team is 3-1-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Iowa and Ohio State.
Iowa is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games after allowing fewer than 20 points in their previous game.
Iowa is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 170 passing yards in their previous game.
Iowa vs. Ohio State Betting Prediction
Ohio State beat Notre Dame 21-10 in Week 1 in an ugly, low-scoring affair. I could see this contest playing out in a similar way. Iowa’s defense will be better than any that Ohio State has faced this season. The Hawkeyes are third in the nation in points allowed per game at 11.2. I think they’ll be able to do enough to slow the Buckeyes down. It’s also worth noting that Ohio State heads to #16 Penn State in a big showdown next weekend, so they might be caught looking ahead. For those reasons, I’ll take the Hawkeyes and the points.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 8 PREDICTION: IOWA HAWKEYES +30
