The Heartland Trophy is on the line once again, and Wisconsin is looking to finally get it back to Madison, but they will need to do something they haven't done since 2018: Win in Iowa City. It's a tough place to win against a team that is known for shutting down opposing offenses. The very realistic joke all week is that the Big Ten West is alive and well with these two, and the first team to 17 points wins.
That may not be too far from the truth, especially as we jump into the odds, spread, and even the prediction and see how it all shakes out.
Wisconsin vs. Iowa odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Wisconsin +106
- Iowa -128
Spread
- Wisconsin +1.5 (+104)
- Iowa -1.5 (-118)
Total
- 36.5 (over -110/under -110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
This game has really changed a decent amount over the last week, since the odds first came out. The Badgers were 3.5- or 4.5-point underdogs, depending on the service, when the week opened. However, the gap has slowly closed to nearly a "pick em" game. It's now only a 1.5-point spread (as of this writing) in favor of Iowa.
The over/under may be the funny part, as it's only at 36.5 for a total score. That truly means the first team to 17 may actually be the winner. With a over/under of 36.5 and a spread of 1.5 that means the final score prediction for Vegas is only 19-17 as a final score. Currently, Iowa is winning that battle in the Vegas prediction.
Wisconsin vs. USC game prediction
If we start with that Vegas prediction above and find the realistic football score of 19-17 in favor of Iowa (with the over being picked). That gives us a good starting point; in other words, Vegas is hedging their bets on Iowa (slightly), but with both teams scoring less than 20.
Now, let's make our own prediction. It actually could be a good game for the Badgers; this current version of Luke Fickell's Wisconsin Badgers sets up really well for this Iowa game. It won't be high-scoring, but there's a good chance that Wisconsin does get into the 20s and Iowa hovers around 13. I do think Wisconsin wins this game on the road.
BoH prediction: Wisconsin wins 20-13.
Iowa without their starting tailback and playing Hank Brown as the starting quarterback does not bode well for a ton of points. It just will truly be a battle in the trenches. However, Wisconsin should win that battle on both sides of the ball. Don't be surprised if Colton Joseph's legs opens up plenty of offense, and the Badgers have a few good drives while the defense does their job too.
How to watch Wisconsin vs. Iowa in Week 8
- Date: Saturday, October 31
- Time: 11:00 a.m. CT
- Venue: Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin
- How to Watch (TV): FOX
- Streaming: fubo TV and FoxOne
- Wisconsin record: 5-2 (3-1 Big Ten)
- Iowa record: 6-1 (2-2 Big Ten)
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