Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats Matchup

Check out our free Northwestern Wildcats vs Iowa Hawkeyes pick and preview for this CFB week 9 game in Iowa City. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 9 CFB matchup.

Heading into this week nine matchup between the Northwestern Wildcats and Iowa Hawkeyes, the game is set for 3:30 ET at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Iowa comes in with a 4-3 record, while Northwestern is 3-4. The over/under line is 37.5 points, with Iowa as the -13.5 point favorite at home. The game will be broadcast on BTN.

Wildcats vs. Hawkeyes Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Northwestern Wildcats at Iowa Hawkeyes
Where: Iowa City at Kinnick Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Betting Odds IOWA -13.5, NW +449 | IOWA -637 O/U 37.5

Wildcats Preview:

Northwestern enters Week 9 with a 3-4 record, facing Iowa. They rank 78th in our power rankings and have just a 13.5% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The Wildcats are 1-2 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.

Northwestern’s average scoring margin is -0.6, and they are 2-3 against the spread. They’ve been favored in only one game this season, going 1-0 ATS as the favorite and 1-3 as the underdog.

Their over/under record stands at 2-3, with an average line of 41.4 points. This week’s line is 37.5, the lowest they’ve faced, and their games have averaged 38.6 points.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Northwestern’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 19 points per game, which ranks them 94th in the nation. They are 114th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. Their passing game has been particularly weak, with only 166 yards per game, and they have converted just 26.7% of their third downs.

Quarterback Jack Lausch has thrown for 808 yards, completing 50.7% of his passes, and has four touchdowns with two interceptions. Northwestern’s rushing attack averages 121.4 yards per game. Cam Porter leads the team with 320 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Bryce Kirtz has 414 receiving yards but has yet to score a touchdown.

Wildcats Team Defense

Northwestern's defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 27th nationally by allowing just 19.6 points per game. They’ve been particularly strong against the run, giving up only 105.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the country.

In their recent game against Wisconsin, Northwestern allowed 23 points, giving up 199 rushing yards and 160 passing yards while forcing one interception.

Hawkeyes Preview:

Northwestern’s average scoring margin is -0.6, and they are 2-3 against the spread. They’ve been favored in only one game this season, going 1-0 ATS as the favorite and 1-3 as the underdog.

Their over/under record stands at 2-3, with an average line of 41.4 points. This week’s line is 37.5, the lowest they’ve faced, and their games have averaged 38.6 points.

Hawkeyes Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 9, Iowa’s offense is averaging 27.9 points per game, ranking 56th nationally. They are 65th in our offensive power rankings. The Hawkeyes have excelled on the ground, averaging 210.3 rushing yards per game, placing them 19th in the country. They are also converting 45.2% of their third-down attempts, which ranks 24th.

Kaleb Johnson leads the rushing attack with 1,035 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 7 yards per carry. Quarterback Cade McNamara has thrown for 944 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 79. Iowa is 121st in passing yards per game, averaging 136.9 yards.

Hawkeyes Team Defense

Heading into this week, Iowa's defense ranks 28th nationally, allowing 19.7 points per game. They’ve given up 224.9 passing yards per game, ranking 101st, with opposing quarterbacks completing 65.8% of their passes, the highest percentage allowed in the country. On the ground, Iowa is 33rd, allowing 113.1 rushing yards per game on 30.1 attempts, which is the 23rd fewest rushing attempts faced nationally.

In their recent game against Michigan State, Iowa’s defense allowed 32 points and 470 total yards. They gave up 214 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 256 passing yards, while also forcing one interception.

Wildcats vs Hawkeyes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last three road contests, Northwestern has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 29 points per game.
Through their last five home contests, the Iowa Hawkeyes offense has averaged 14 points per game while allowing an average of 25. Iowa posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-3 ATS.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the underdog, the Northwestern Wildcats have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.