It’s ranked team vs. ranked team this coming Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, with the no. 17 Indiana Hoosiers in town to face to square off against the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes. Check out our more about this marquee matchup by reading our preview below.
The Hoosiers will look to build on a great 2020 campaign that saw them finish with a 6-2- record. Their only loss in the regular season was against the Ohio State Buckeyes, 42-35, while covering the spread as a massive 21-point road underdog. A big reason for optimism yet again for Indiana this season is the return to 100 percent form of dual-threat quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Penix sustained a season-ending injury last season but is ready to give it a go right away this year. Indiana averaged 28.9 points per game in 2020 and just 3.3 yards per carry, but Penix will help a lot in restoring the Hoosiers’ ground attack along with USC transfer Stephen Carr.
Indiana is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games overall. The under is also 3-0 in the Hoosiers’ past three contests.
Iowa is hoping to see quarterback Spencer Petras version that finished last season with five touchdowns and zero picks thrown in the final two games. Petras kicked off the 2020 season on shaky ground, as he had four touchdown passes against five interceptions in the first five games, but at least he recovered nicely from that and he’ll be looking to sustain that form this year. Also returning is running back Tyler Goodson, who finished fourth in the Big Ten in 2020 with an average of 95.25 rushing yards per game to go with seven rushing scores in eight games. The offensive line that features center Tyler Linderbaum, who’s regarded as among the top offensive linemen in the conference, should be able to show the way for Goodson and protect Petras in the pocket. Last season, Iowa allowed just 11.0 sacks, the third-fewest in the league.
Iowa is 6-3-1 against the spread in its last 10 games overall.
