The Washington Huskies (4-2) embark on their first season building new rivalries in the Big Ten. This time, they head to Iowa City, where they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2).
It’ll be the first time since 1964 that the Huskies travel to Iowa City. These two programs have only squared off six times in history. Well, now, as Conference partners, that’s about to change. Washington stunned the world last week, beating Michigan, 27-17, where Will Rogers threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
Iowa has had a rocky start to its season. Last week, the Hawkeyes fell to Ohio State in Columbus, 35-7, where Cade McNamara only threw for 98 yards, one interception and got sacked three times. Obviously, Ohio State’s a powerhouse, but I expected a little more fight from Iowa.
Washington is a 3-point favorite with a 42-point over/under. The game kicks off at 12 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on FOX.
Where does the betting value lie? Check out my Washington vs Iowa predictions and college football picks for this Week 7 NCAAF matchup.
Washington Huskies vs Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction
- Washington vs Iowa Pick: Washington ML +125
My Iowa vs Washington best bet is on the Huskies moneyline, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Washington vs Iowa Odds, Spread, Line
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -105 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | +120 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -115 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | -145 |
- Washington vs Iowa Spread: Iowa -2.5
- Washington vs Iowa Over/Under: 41.5 Points
- Washington vs Iowa Moneyline: Washington ML +120 · Iowa ML -145
Washington Football vs Iowa Football Preview
Washington Huskies Betting Preview: Barking Through the Big Ten
Washington is a polar opposite program than it was a year ago. With Kalen DeBoer leaving, as well as several of its key players either to the portal or NFL, Jedd Fisch from Arizona took over.
His quarterback, Rogers, who was already committed to the Huskies before DeBoer’s departure, remains one of the more efficient passers in the FBS, completing passes at a staggering 73.6% rate.
With weapons like Denzel Boston and Giles Jackson, who receive the bulk of the targets, it makes Rogers’ job that much easier. Washington is playing to a 32nd best Passing Down team and also ranks 19th in Passing Play Success Rate. I wouldn’t expect a ton of explosive plays, though, which is something the Huskies were masters at last season.
I love Washington’s run game, though. I wish it would run the ball more, as the Huskies run the ball at a very low rate (90th, to be exact). Jonah Coleman is such an electric back who runs like a battering ram.
I get that they’re trying to salvage him, but when he's running for 6.7 yards per carry with five touchdowns, you should feed him more. Alongside him, Cameron Davis and Adam Mohammed are decent backups who can step in at any time. Because of that, the Huskies rank eighth nationally in Rushing Success Rate and 21st in Rushing PPA.
Continuing with the trend of polar opposites, this defense has made drastic strides. Carson Breuner is a dog, and Alphonzo Tuputala causes a ton of Havoc. It stops the Pass at an elite level, ranking 21st in SR and fifth in PPA.
Running the ball would probably stifle the Huskies, as they’re 69th in Rush Success Rate allowed and 101st in Rush Explosiveness allowed.
Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview: Circling Their Prey
I feel like no matter how much talent the Hawkeyes get, they’ll forever be relegated to mediocrity as long as Kirk Ferentz is running this program.
Ferentz is a defense-first coach and Iowa will always be among the cream of the crop in defensive teams. But offensively, there are seasons where the ball movement is a black hole. This isn’t the 1990s anymore, and sometimes I feel like he coaches like it still is.
I don’t think Iowa’s offense is terrible this season. McNamara is throwing at a 64% clip, which is solid, but there are hardly any receivers that make a legitimate impact. The leading receiver is Jacob Gill, who only averages 10.6 yards per catch and McNamara only throws when he needs to.
There’s a reason why Iowa ranks 16th in Passing Downs rate but 102nd in Success Rate and 127th in explosiveness. Passing is only a last resort and all the focus rightly goes to Kaleb Johnson and the run game.
Johnson is a total stud – not much else needs to be said about him. If Ashton Jeanty wasn’t tearing through the country, Johnson would be the top running back in the nation. He’ll just have to settle for second place with 154 rush yards per game.
As mentioned before, all the focus goes to the defense for Iowa. At least the Hawks are good at what they do. They’re 15th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game and Coleman who likes to run in bulk, plays to Iowa’s strengths.
When stuffing the pass, they’re incredible as well. Along with a 16th-best Pass Down Success Rate allowed, Iowa’s also exceptional at limiting explosive plays, especially with Jermari Harris with five pass breakups and two interceptions.
Washington vs Iowa Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Washington and Iowa match up statistically:
Washington Offense vs. Iowa Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 6 | 40 | |
| Line Yards | 8 | 28 | |
| Pass Success | 10 | 30 | |
| Havoc | 33 | 57 | |
| Finishing Drives | 112 | 45 | |
| Quality Drives | 43 | 8 | |
Iowa Offense vs. Washington Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 38 | 67 | |
| Line Yards | 59 | 84 | |
| Pass Success | 59 | 1 | |
| Havoc | 80 | 47 | |
| Finishing Drives | 78 | 35 | |
| Quality Drives | 72 | 18 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 1 | 10 |
| PFF Coverage | 14 | 1 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 130 | 23 |
| Middle 8 | 71 | 66 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.0 (82) | 29.7 (118) |
| Rush Rate | 50% (91) | 61% (17) |
How to Bet My Washington vs Iowa Pick
I never do moneyline bets on college football, but today is when I break that rule.
I think the Huskies have a great shot at winning this game, especially after upsetting Michigan last week. The Hawkeyes don’t move the needle for me and as you can tell, I’m not the biggest Ferentz fan.
He may have had success in his early days in Iowa City, but what has he done since 2015? Win a couple of divisional titles? Big whoop.
There’s a lot to like in Washington’s game. While I don’t think Coleman is going to have the lights-out game that I usually expect of him, I do think he’ll make a dent. He scored a touchdown against Michigan who is strong against the run, and I think we see him in the endzone again.
Back Washington to come out on top, and if you’re feeling dastardly, sprinkle in a quarter of a unit for Coleman to score a touchdown.
Pick: Washington ML (+124, DraftKings) · Jonah Coleman Anytime Touchdown (-105)
Washington vs Iowa Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 12 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | FOX |
Washington vs Iowa will be played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on FOX.
Iowa vs Washington Betting Trends
- 62% of the tickets and 39% of the money is targeted for Iowa to cover the spread.
- 84% of the bets and 80% of the money is aimed for the Over.
- Washington moneyline has only 21% of the bets but 92% of the money.
Washington vs Iowa Weather
