Michigan vs. Iowa Prediction, Preview, and Odds

The Michigan Wolverines will battle the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Big Ten championship on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff from Indianapolis, IN, is at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Michigan (12-0 SU, 6-5-1 ATS, 6-5-1 O/U) won the Big Ten East division with a 9-0 conference record. It defeated rival Ohio State 30-24 last weekend, solidifying its status as a national championship contender. The Wolverines are ranked second in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Iowa (10-2 SU, 6-5-1 ATS, 2-10 O/U) won the Big Ten West division with a 7-2 conference record. It beat Nebraska 13-10 last Saturday. The Hawkeyes are ranked 16th in the CFP rankings.

The Wolverines are 22-point spread favorites and the game total is 34.5 points.

Injury Report

Michigan: OL Zak Zinter is out.

Iowa: DB Cooper DeJean and DB TJ Hall are out. OL Logan Jones and WR Diante Vines are probable to play.

Get to Know Mike Briggs!

Mike Briggs is your trusted football capper at W&W! You don't want to miss his next premium play, sotake a look at Briggs' daily packages and seasonal subscriptions for all his best bets and NCAAF picks. You should also  on Twitter!

Will the Wolverines finish the job?

Michigan battled its way through adversity this season, winning all of its games while public perception of its dominance waned due to a sign-stealing scandal. The Wolverines will welcome back head coach Jim Harbaugh for the Big Ten title game after he served a three-game suspension for his role in the scandal. Can he lead them to glory with a national championship?

UM averaged 37.6 points (13th) and 394.5 total yards (59th) per game this season, including 224.8 passing yards (64th) and 169.8 rushing yards (53rd). It converted 49.6 percent of its third-down attempts (7th) and scored at least a field goal on 86.0 percent of its red zone trips (47th).

The Wolverines surrendered 10.3 points (1st) and 247.4 total yards (2nd) per game, including 155.3 passing yards (4th) and 92.1 rushing yards (7th). They accumulated 28 sacks and 16 interceptions this season. Michigan's opponents converted 31.1 percent of their third downs (17th) and scored at least a field goal on 78.9 percent of their red zone trips (34th).

Iowa has its work cut out

Iowa didn't finish its season unscathed, but it did an admirable job of navigating tough circumstances. On the heels of their first loss of the season, the Hawkeyes lost their starting quarterback, Wolverines transfer Cade McNamara, vs. Michigan State on September 30, but battled their way to a 6-1 record the rest of the way. While massive underdogs versus Michigan, I'm not sure the Hawks would choose to be anything else.

Iowa averaged 18.0 points (125th) and 247.3 total yards (133rd) per game, including 123.4 passing yards (130th) and 123.9 rushing yards (104th). It converted 31.0 percent of its third downs (119th) and scored at least a field goal on 82.3 percent of its red zone trips (80th).

The Hawkeyes gave up 12.2 points (4th) and 279.3 total yards (7th) per game this season, including 174.3 passing yards (9th) and 104.9 rushing yards (17th). They racked up 22 sacks and 10 interceptions. Iowa's opponents converted 32.5 percent of their third-down attempts (21st) and scored at least a field goal on 70.8 percent of their red zone visits (4th).

Need more help with College Football? Try these NCAAF Expert Picks and cash in!

Best Bets for this Game

Full-Game Side Bet

Insiders Status:

Rating:

The Wolverines have a lot to play for and will be out for blood in the B1G title game!

Michigan's offense ranks in the top ten in both EPA/Play and success rate, dominating on the ground game after game. The passing attack has shined too, ranking in the top ten in passing yards per attempt. QB JJ McCarthy will look to put on a show with noted QB whisper Harbaugh back on the sidelines, and I'm confident he will do so against an Iowa secondary missing its best player (DeJean). Aside from a 31-0 shellacking vs. Penn State, Iowa's defense benefitted from a weak schedule comprised of mediocre-to-poor Big Ten West offenses.

The Wolverines' defense will exact revenge, too. Michigan was dominant against both the pass and the run this season and ranked 17th nationally in opponent third down conversion rate. Iowa ranked last in success rate and second to last in EPA/Play — will it even score in this game?

I'll bet five units on the Wolverines to win big in Indianapolis, stamping their ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Prediction: Michigan -22

Full-Game Total Pick

Insiders Status:

Rating:

I am confident the Wolverines will win and cover in a blowout win, but that doesn't mean the best play on the total is to bet the over.

Michigan will lean on its ground game to beat the Hawkeyes, especially in the second half. As great as McCarthy has been this season, he doesn't need to pass for 300 yards to will his team to victory. In fact, he passed for 148 yards against Ohio State but was incredibly efficient (16-for-20). With Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines have a two-headed RB monster built to bleed game clock. In fact, Michigan ranked 12th nationally in average time of possession (32:30) this season.

Iowa's offense has been tough to watch, and the loss of McNamara certainly didn't help. Even with him, I'm not sure it would have changed much. The Wolverines should turn the Hawkeyes over at least twice, putting Iowa even further behind the eight-ball. The Hawkeyes aren't built to score with Michigan's offense — don't expect a miracle on Saturday night!

Prediction: Under 34.5

Mike Briggs is a passionate sports fan and writer, earning his B.A. in Journalism. In 2020, he moved across the country from New Jersey to San Diego to satisfy his lifelong obsession of living near an MLB stadium. As a proud MSU basketball supporter, Mike believes he's learned a lot watching coach Tom Izzo lead the Spartans to Big Ten titles and Final Fours regularly. He's also well-read on the NBA, having a subscription to SLAM magazine, the famed "basketball bible," since he was a teenager. Mike spends his free time strategizing futures bets and researching opportunities to make a few bucks on tonight's game. You can follow Mike on Twitter @BriggsWrites for sports betting, DFS, and stock trading tips.