Wisconsin at Iowa: 12/12/20 College Football Picks and Prediction
Photo by Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) vs Wisconsin Badgers (2-2)
Game Info: Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 3:30 pm (Kinnick Stadium)
Betting Odds: Iowa Hawkeyes +2 -- Over/Under: 41.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 16th ranked Wisconsin Badgers will travel to Kinnick Stadium to take on the 19th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday in College Football action.
The 16th ranked Wisconsin Badgers lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 2-2 on the season after being defeated by the 12th ranked Indiana Hoosiers, 14-6, this past Saturday. Wisconsin once against struggled offensively and could not fight back after Indiana took a 14-3 lead on a 7-yard TD pass by Whop Philyor with 11:03 left in the 3rd quarter. Wisconsin was outgained by Indiana by a 342-217 margin, however, lost the turnover battle by a 2-1 margin in the loss. Leading the way for the Badgers was RB Jalen Berger who had 87 rushing yards on 15 carries.
On the season, Wisconsin is averaging 26.8 ppg on 401.5 total yards per game (201.8 passing yds/g; 199.8 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Wisconsin has been led by QB Graham Mertz who has completed 63.6% of his passes for 807 yards, 8 TD, & 4 INT. The top receiving threats for Mertz and the Badgers have been Jake Ferguson (23 rec, 235 yards, 4 TD), Chimere Dike (7 rec, 121 yards, TD), and Kendric Pryor (8 rec, 119 yards). Leading the way for the Wisconsin backfield has been the trio of Jalen Berger (45 att, 267 yards, TD), Nakia Watson (40 att, 162 yards, 2 TD), and Garrett Groshek (24 att, 96 yards).
Defensively, Wisconsin is holding their opponents to an average of 12.3 ppg on 229.3 total yards per game (157.0 passing yds/g; 72.3 rushing yds/g).
The 19th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes won their 5th straight game and improved to 5-2 on the season after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini, 35-21, this past Saturday. Iowa got off to a slow start against the Hawkeyes, however, Iowa found their footing in the 2nd quarte and had no trouble securing the victory after 35 unanswered points gave Iowa a 35-14 lead with 1:56 left in the 4th quarter. Iowa outgained Illinois by a 424-348 margin and didn’t commit a turnover in the victory. Leading the way for the Hawkeyes was QB Spencer Petras who completed 18 of 28 passes for 220 yards & 3 TD.
On the season, Iowa is averaging 32.3 ppg on 373.0 total yards per game (195.7 passing yds/g; 177.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Iowa has been led by the RB duo of Tyler Goodson (132 att, 656 yards, 6 TD) and Mekhi Sargent (63 att, 381 yards, 7 TD). QB Spencer Petras has completed 57.3% of his passes for 1,358 yards, 7 TD & 5 INT. The top receiving threats for the Hawkeyes have been Sam LaPorta (26 rec, 260 yards, TD), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (18 rec, 205 yards, 2 TD), and Brandon Smith (20 rec, 201 yards, 2 TD).
Defensively, Iowa is holding their opponents to average 17.3 ppg on 326.4 total yards per game (211.4 passing yds/g; 115.0 rushing yds/g).
The Badgers are 17-8 ATS in their last 25 road games, however, are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning record. The Hawkeyes are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games in December and 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 conference games.
Wisconsin is a solid team, however, I just can’t trust the Badgers offense, which has put up just a combined 13 points over their last two games to do anything better on the road against an Iowa team that ranks 14th in scoring defense. I expect this to be a low-scoring battle, however, I think Iowa will come away with the victory and cover at home in this one. Good Luck.
UPDATE (12/10/20) - The line has really shifted over the past few days as Wisconsin is now favored, however, I'm sticking to my original thoughts and going to take Iowa with the points.
Brett’s Pick Iowa Hawkeyes +2
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
