Iowa vs. Nebraska Prediction, Preview, and Odds

The Iowa Hawkeyes, champions of the Big Ten West Division, travel to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers on Friday afternoon. Iowa clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship game set for December 2nd against the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game with a win over Illinois last week. The Cornhuskers come in with a record of 5-6 and could clinch bowl eligibility with an upset over the Hawkeyes on Friday. The opening kick is scheduled for 12:00 PM EST.

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Champs Are Here

The Iowa Hawkeyes picked up a hard-earned victory over Illinois last Saturday night, 15-13 to clinch the Big Ten West Division Championship. The Hawkeyes now have a date with either Ohio State or Michigan in Indianapolis on December 2nd. Hawkeyes' quarterback Deacon Hill finished the day 19-of-29 for 167 yards and a touchdown for the offensively-challenged Hawkeyes. Running back Leshon Williams had 54 yards rushing while fellow running back Kaleb Johnson added 53 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. Wide receiver Addison Ostrenga caught Hill's lone touchdown pass. As usual, the Hawkeyes defense was up for the challenge. Jay Higgins led the way with 12 tackles and Joe Evans had a sack in the endzone for a safety that proved to be the winning margin for the Hawkeyes.

“It has got to be the story of our season,” said Hill. “Just keep punching forward each and every play, each and every day. Keep moving forward, one step in front of the other. I think we did that today. We knew at some point one was going to break, and we just couldn’t let up. We couldn’t take our foot off the gas. You know, no matter the outcome of what that drive was, we knew that we had to keep pushing forward each and every play.”

Iowa comes into this game with the second-worst total offense in the country. The Hawkeyes are 102nd running the ball and 130th through the air. The Hawkeyes have trouble staying on the field, ranking 121st in third down conversions. The Hawkeyes' identity is represented in the team's defense. They are ranked sixth in the country in total defense. Iowa is 17th against the run and ninth against the pass. The Hawkeyes' have done a great job of getting the opposition off the field, ranked 18th on third down. Iowa's offense has had trouble getting out of its own way. They are ranked just 90th in the nation in turnover differential this season. They will not hurt themselves with penalties, however, ranked third in penalties per game.

Key Injuries: D. Vines WR Out Fri,  D. Hilson RB Ques Fri, T. Hall DB Ques Fri, C. DeJean DB out for season, T. Washington Jr. RB Out indefinitely

Nebraska with a Shot

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have one more chance to become bowl-eligible as they get set to host Iowa on Friday afternoon. The Cornhuskers were 5-3 but have now lost three straight games and still hoping to get a bowl invitation. On Saturday night in Wisconsin, the Cornhuskers fell just short, losing 24-17 in overtime to the Badgers. Nebraska tied the game with four seconds left on a Tristan Alvano 30-yard field goal but were unable to match Wisconsin's touchdown in overtime. Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy, in his first start of the season, went 15-of-23 for 169 yards and a touchdown. Purdy had 14 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown as well. More impressively, Purdy and the offense didn't commit any turnovers. Nebraska outgained Wisconsin 364-315 for the game.

“A lot of things that we’ve talked about were significantly improved, but it just wasn’t quite enough in a close ball game." Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said after the tough loss.

Nebraska comes into this matchup with the 104th ranked total offense in the country. They are very good on the ground, ranked 22nd in the nation. The Cornhuskers are less effective through the air, ranked 129th in passing. The Cornhuskers are just 84th in converting on third down. Defensively, the Cornhuskers are ranked 13th in total defense. They are sixth against the run and 51st against the pass. On third down, the Cornhuskers are 52nd in preventing first downs thus far. Nebraska has shot itself in the foot consistently this season, ranked next-to-last in the country in turnover differential. They have done a decent job with penalties, ranking 33rd in the nation.

Key Injuries: N. Boerkircher TE Ques Fri , H. Haarberg QB Ques Fri, A. Grant RB Ques Fri

Best Bets for this Game

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Head coach Matt Rhule would certainly like to end his first season in Nebraska with a bowl invitation. This is his last chance to clinch a spot for bowl season. His team now matches up with an Iowa Hawkeyes bunch that already has its postseason plans in place. Nebraska actually has a slightly better offense in this game but barely. They will likely go back to Purdy on a short week with question marks at quarterback. Purdy performed well against a very good Wisconsin defense so he certainly has earned a second start. The Hawkeyes come in with a rather large injury list so I wouldn't be shocked if they take a conservative approach with their injured players with the Big Ten title game looming on December 2nd. With these two offenses, rest assured neither team will run away from the other one and it will likely come down to a field goal. I'm taking the more desperate Cornhuskers at home in this game.

Take Nebraska -2.5

Prediction: Nebraska -2.5

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The oddsmakers must have a blast deciding just how low they can go with the total in Iowa football games. I thought the total of 32 against Illinois would be the standard bearer but this number sets the mark. A total of less than four touchdowns combined between these two teams truly answers the question of how low can they go. Both offenses are near the bottom of college football and have certainly struggled to put up points. However, both these teams struggle with turnovers and there should be just enough short fields in this one to get this game passed a foolishly low total. Nebraska scraped together 17 points last week and the Hawkeyes were able to score 15. I wouldn't be surprised to see a defensive score for one or both teams in this one and that should get this game over the magic number.

Take the over.

Prediction: Over 26.5

Mark has been a sports fanatic since childhood. He is also an avid follower of sports analytics and has used it in his own betting analysis for over two decades. Now we have Mark on our team here at Stat Salt. He holds degrees in marketing, broadcasting, and English and uses this vast array of assets to dissect and analyze game matchups. Mark will provide you with a wide variety of statistics to consider and a strong opinion in each matchup that he covers. Please follow him daily for an up-to-the-minute analysis of all the important games.