Saturday’s Penn State at Iowa matchup has some fans drawing comparisons to when games were televised in standard definition, remote calls came from a payphone and illicit sports bets were made with a handshake and maybe a scrap of paper.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz fielded questions at his weekly press conference about the 1985 game featuring No. 1 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan.
Ferentz could make firsthand comparisons to Saturday’s game because he was a young offensive line coach under Hayden Fry 36 years ago. The 1985 Hawkeyes kept their No. 1 ranking when a last-second field goal by Rob Houghtlin sealed a 12-10 win.
Iowa is No. 3 going into Saturday’s game against the No. 4 Nittany Lions. Ferentz said:
“There are certain games you can feel when you walk in the stadium, especially when the crowd gets in there. That part is really neat. You’ve got to be prepared for that.”
Penn State at Iowa Hawkeyes spread, moneyline
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 1.5-point favorites, according to oddsmakers as of Thursday evening. Here are the live odds from Iowa sportsbooks:
The top-five matchup is drawing healthy interest among Iowa sports betting operators, and FanDuel is making betting on the Hawkeyes game a bit more interesting.
Iowa sportsbooks dish out promos and ‘Spread the Love’
FanDuel Sportsbook in Iowa can bet on the Hawkeyes at +92.5 points and counting for this weekend’s showdown through its signature “Spread the Love” promotion.
For every 100 customers in Iowa who bet on Iowa via the Spread the Love promo, FanDuel will move the spread one point in the Hawkeyes favor. So far, the spread has changed from +0.5 to +92.5 because more than 9,000 customers have bet on the game. The Iowa spread began Tuesday at +0.5, with odds at +100. The max bet is $25.
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Caesars Sportsbook in Iowa has a +350 odds boost for a Penn State win and under 40.5 points scored.
BetMGM Sportsbook has a Penn State-centered special bet as well. It offers +400 for the Nittany Lions to beat Iowa, Ohio State and Maryland in the regular season.
Bally Bet Sportsbook offers collapse protection for moneyline and spread wagers. If the Hawkeyes lead by three points or more going into the fourth quarter and end up losing, Bally Bet will issue up to a $25 refund in the form of a bonus bet.
How to watch the Penn State at Iowa game
- What: No. 4 Penn State (5-0) at No. 3 Iowa (5-0)
- When: 3 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City
- TV: Fox
The Fox Big Noon Kickoff preview show begins at 9 a.m. from Iowa City. The on-campus show features host Rob Stone. He is joined by analysts Brady Quinn, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Bob Stoops.
Ferentz said the coaching staff’s message to players hasn’t changed going into Week 6:
“It’s all about us trying to get better on a daily basis.”
Beyond Penn State at Iowa: Big Ten/Big 12 live NCAAF odds
The Big Ten has a full schedule, but four Big 12 teams, including Iowa State, are idle this week. Here’s a look at live odds for the regional matchups:
11 a.m. games
Maryland at No. 7 Ohio State (FOX)
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 21 Texas (in Dallas) (ABC)
No. 11 Michigan State at Rutgers (BTN)
West Virginia at Baylor (FS1)
2:30 p.m. games (unless noted)
Wisconsin at Illinois (BTN)
No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa (3 p.m. FOX)
6:30 p.m. games (unless noted)
TCU at Texas Tech (6 p.m. ESPN)
No. 9 Michigan at Nebraska (ABC)
Other Top 25 games and live college football odds
Thursday, Oct. 7
No. 15 Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State (6:30 p.m. ESPNU)
Friday, Oct. 8
Temple at No. 5 Cincinnati (6 p.m. ESPN)
Stanford at No. 22 Arizona State (9:30 p.m. ESPN)
11 a.m. games
No. 13 Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss (ESPN)
Vanderbilt at No. 20 Florida (SEC Network)
2:30 p.m. games
No. 2 Georgia at No. 18 Auburn (CBS)
Boise State at No. 10 BYU (ABC)
No. 19 Wake Forest at Syracuse (ESPN2)
No. 24 SMU at Navy (CBS Sports Network)
6:30 p.m. games (unless noted)
No. 14 Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (ACC Network)
LSU at No 16 Kentucky (SEC Network)
No. 1 Alabama at Texas A&M (7 p.m. CBS)
New Mexico at No. 25 San Diego State (8 p.m. FS1)
