Betting Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines

After outscoring their previous opponents by a combined score of 100-3, the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes collide Saturday in Big Ten action. The Hawkeyes have taken advantage of a soft early schedule to start 4-0, while the 3-1 Wolverines rebounded from a bad loss at Wisconsin with a shutout win last week.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Does it look weird to see Michigan listed as such a short favorite at home? It should. This is just the third time in the Wolverines’ last 27 home games that they aren’t favored by double digits, and those two other exceptions came against Ohio State. The short opener of Michigan -7 hasn’t been enough to discourage Iowa backers, however. UM had been bet down to -5 within hours of the opener.

Iowa News & Notes

There isn’t much not to like about the way the Hawkeyes are playing football right now. Their defense is averaging 8.5 points allowed per game, ranking third in the nation in that category and in the top 20 against both the run and the pass. Their offense is coming off a 644-yard explosion in a 48-3 rout of Middle Tennessee State, the most yards Iowa has put up in 257 games under head coach Kirk Ferentz. They don’t turn the ball over (just once through four games). Heck, even the special teams are clicking, with kicker Keith Duncan making a 49-yard field goal last week and missing just one attempt this year.

But before we get carried away, let’s remember that 2-2 Iowa State is the toughest team Iowa has faced — and the Hawkeyes won that game by a point. This visit to Michigan will be the first big test for Iowa, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Hawkeyes respond when things aren’t coming as easily as they have so far.

Michigan News & Notes

There’s nothing like a visit from Rutgers to get the taste of a disappointing loss out of your mouth. Michigan took full advantage of the opportunity, posting its first shutout in three years in a 52-0 pounding of the Scarlet Knights. It was also the first game on the Michigan sideline for offensive co-ordinator Josh Gattis, who called plays from the press box in the Wolverines’ first three games. “We came out with a chip on our shoulders,” said Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson, who went 17 of 23 for 276 yards and a touchdown before being taken out of the game in the third quarter.

About the only thing the Wolverines didn’t do well in their first game following a 35-14 loss at Wisconsin was run the ball. Michigan averaged just 3.8 yards per carry over the first three quarters against Rutgers’ 110th-ranked run defense. UM is now 95th in the nation with just 130.5 rushing yards per game.

Betting Pick: Iowa ATS

I’d rather be taking the +7 opener, but I think there’s still a lot of value on the visiting Hawkeyes here against the overhyped Wolverines.