Iowa vs. Utah State odds, line: Advanced college football computer model reveals picks for Saturday's season-opening matchup

The No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes will be looking for a fresh start offensively when they face the Utah State Aggies in a season opener on Saturday afternoon. Iowa added Michigan transfer Cade McNamara at quarterback, and the Hawkeyes are 20-2 in their last 22 season openers. Utah State has played in 10 bowl games in the last 12 years, including last year when it finished with a 6-7 record overall. 

Kickoff at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City is set for noon ET. The Hawkeyes are 24-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Utah State odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 44.5. 

Before making any Utah State vs. Iowa picks or college football predictions, you NEED to see the predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows that Iowa had a chaotic offseason, as its program was caught up in a sports betting investigation that involved multiple teams in Iowa City. Sixth-year defensive tackle Noah Shannon is appealing a season-long suspension, but head coach Kirk Ferentz has not named all five players the NCAA highlighted for alleged wrongdoing. McNamara has been dealing with a muscle strain, but he has been medically cleared for this game. 

The model also knows that Utah State is coming off another bowl game appearance and is looking for a rare win over a top 25 team. The Aggies are 6-65 all-time against teams ranked in the top 25, but they picked up a 26-23 upset at Washington State two years ago. They return a trio of All-Mountain West performers to go along with senior quarterback Cooper Legas. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Iowa vs. Utah State. We can tell you it is leaning Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college football picks!