The No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) travel to meet the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0, 2-0) Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Penn State vs. Iowa odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Nittany Lions posted a 24-0 shutout of visiting Indiana in front of a “white out” crowd in Happy Valley last week. The Under is 4-1 through five outings for Penn State.
The Hawkeyes blasted Maryland by a 51-14 count last week, and if you look at common opponents, Iowa also took care of Indiana Sept. 4. The Hawkeyes beat IU 34-6 to cover a 3.5-point number as the Under cashed. Like Penn State, the Under is 4-1 through five games for Iowa.
Rankings according to the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Penn State at Iowa odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Penn State +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Iowa -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Penn State +1.5 (-105) | Iowa -1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 41.5 (O: -103 | U: -117)
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Penn State at Iowa odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Iowa 22, Penn State 18
Money line
IOWA (-130) has used a balanced offense to take care of opponents but this will easily be the biggest test of the season for the Hawkeyes. They’re not untested, though, as Iowa topped rival Iowa State on the road Sept. 11, and the Hawkeyes blasted a good Maryland team as three-point favorites.
Against the spread
IOWA -1.5 (-115) is slightly favored, and the risk is a little less if you want to lay the points. This will be a very close game, however, and I could even see it potentially being a 1-point game.
I’d prefer to just hit the money line instead of “buying” the point and a half.
Over/Under
The UNDER 41.5 (-117) is the lean, but I’d go very, very lightly.
This is a super low line, especially for this day and age of football. Both of these teams have dynamite defenses, and this is going to be a defensive slog with points at a premium. The Under is 4-1 for both teams, and that trend will continue.
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