The Iowa Hawkeyes continued their winning ways last weekend, extending their win streak to five games. This week, Iowa looks to add a sixth consecutive win when the Hawkeyes host the Wisconsin Badgers.
Do the oddsmakers see Iowa as the favorite against the Badgers?
How to watch Wisconsin at Iowa
- What: Wisconsin (2-2, 2-2 Big Ten) at No. 16 Iowa (5-2, 5-2)
- When: 2:30 p.m. CST, Saturday, Dec. 12
- Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
- TV: FS1
- Online Livestream: Fox Sports Go
- Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network, AM 600 WMT NewsRadio
- Satellite Radio: Sirius Channel 83; XM Channel 83
- Online Radio Stream: Hawkeyesports.com
- Live Stats: Hawkeyesports.com
Oddsmakers see the Badgers as a slight favorite
Despite Iowa’s recent win streak, oddsmakers see Wisconsin as the road favorite in this game.
| Wisconsin at Iowa Week 15 Odds | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | WIS -1 -112 IOWA +1 -109 | WIS -1.5 -105 IOWA +1.5 -115 | WIS -1 IOWA +1 | WIS -1 IOWA +1 |
| Moneyline | WIS -117 IOWA -104 | WIS -118 IOWA -104 | WIS -115 IOWA -105 | WIS -115 IOWA -105 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | O 41.5 U 41.5 | O 42.5 -108 U 42.5 -112 | O 41.5 -115 U 41.5 -105 | O 41.5 U 41.5 |
Most of the sportsbooks are listing Wisconsin as a 1-point road favorite. The Badgers are a 1.5-point road favorite, according to FanDuel odds.
When it comes to the moneyline, Wisconsin is listed anywhere from -115 to -118. Iowa is getting odds of -104 or -105.
The over/under is listed at 41.5 points by most of the sportsbooks.
Hawkeyes struggling with the Badgers
Iowa and Wisconsin have a pretty rich history, having a total of 93 meetings that dates back to 1894.
The Badgers hold the edge in the all-time series with a record of 48-42-3.
Most recently, Wisconsin has won four straight against Iowa and seven of the last eight in the series.
Wisconsin has also been stronger for Iowa sports bettors in recent meetings as well. The Badgers have covered the spread in three of the last four meetings.
The over has been the recent play in this series as well, as these two have hit it in their last three encounters.
When it comes to public betting, Iowa has the slight edge for Saturday. The Hawkeyes are currently getting 54% of the wagers as the home underdog.
Iowa keeps up the win streak
Since starting the year 0-2, Iowa has put together five consecutive wins. The most recent was a 35-21 victory at Illinois last week. Iowa trailed 14-0 early in the game but then scored 35 straight points.
Along with the victories, Iowa has gone 4-1 against the spread during this win streak.
The Iowa offense led the way in the win over the Illini. The Hawkeyes racked up 424 yards of total offense, including 204 rushing yards.
Tyler Goodson had 92 rushing yards to lead the offense, while Mekhi Sargent had 54 yards.
Quarterback Spencer Petras had one of his best games under center. He threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. It was his first multi-touchdown passing game of the season.
Defensively, Iowa held Illinois to just 348 total yards and 199 passing yards.
On the season, Iowa ranks 14th nationally in scoring defense (17.3 ppg) and 16th nationally in total defense (326.4 ypg).
The Hawkeyes have an impressive streak going, holding opponents under 26 points in 21 consecutive games.
Wisconsin upset by Indiana
It’s been a tough 2020 season for Wisconsin’s football program.
The Badgers battled through a COVID-19 outbreak early in the season and has only managed to play four games thus far.
Last weekend, Wisconsin hosted Indiana and suffered a 14-6 loss despite being a 12-point favorite.
With the loss, the Badgers are now 2-2 on the season with back-to-back losses. Wisconsin has been the favorite in all four games this season.
After an offensive outburst against Illinois and Michigan, the Badgers have struggled to a total of 13 points in their last eight quarters.
Freshman quarterback Graham Mertz has thrown for 807 yards and eight touchdowns this season. However, he has just one TD and four interceptions over his last two games. He also has completed under 60 percent of his passes in his last three games.
Wisconsin’s defense has been consistent throughout the season. The Badgers lead the nation in total defense (229.3 ypg), passing defense (157 ypg) and rushing defense (72.3 ypg). They are second in scoring defense (12.3 ppg).
