No. 13 Iowa meets No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The match will be televised on FOX.
Michigan (11-1) appeared in the Big Ten championship game for the first time and sought its first general championship since 2004. The Wolverines defeated Ohio State 42-27 the following week. outstanding performances by Hassan Haskins and Aidan Hutchinson. With a win, Jim Harbaugh will have Michigan in the College Football Playoffs.
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Iowa (10-2) has a chance to play the spoiler. The Hawkeyes have won the Big Ten West Division and are making their second appearance in the Big Ten championship game. Kirk Ferentz is drawing 1-1 in head-to-head coaches against Harbaugh, and Iowa will be in crushing style on both sides.
Big Ten East has won 8 consecutive Big Ten championship matches.
It’s an old-fashioned Big Ten championship game; one of the weekends. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know to bet on Wolverines and Hawkeyes:
Iowa vs. Odds. Michigan
- Transmitted: Michigan -10.5
- On lower: 43.5
- Cash flow: Michigan -520, Iowa +375
Three trends to know
– The Wolverines are 10-2 ATS in 2021, and that includes a 5-1 ATS record by double-digit spreads. The only game with a double-digit difference that Michigan did not include this season was the 20-13 win over Rutgers on October 2.
– The Hawkeyes are 7-5 ATS in 2021, but they lost 2-0 S/U with wins over Iowa State and Nebraska.
– Iowa has won five of its last seven meetings against Michigan since 2009. The Hawkeyes and Wolverines have split the last two games. Iowa beat Michigan 14-13 on November 12, 2016. The werewolves beat the Hawkeyes 10-3 on October 5, 2019.
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Three things to see
– Hassan Haskins encore. Michigan was running behind 169 yards and five times TD faced Ohio State, and the Wolverines were able to dominate at the front. Iowa presents another challenge. The Hawkeyes have a defense in the top 15 and only allow 3.0 yards per take, and wingers Jack Campbell and Seth Benson have combined for 213 tackles this season. Can the Wolverines attack line get the second level boost? If so, then Iowa is in trouble.
– Iowa’s ball control. The Hawkeyes have the same approach of attack built around all-American center Tyler Linderbaum, and Tyler Goodson is a versatile defender with a total of 1,101 yards of charge and six TDs on the ground and 25 catches at close range. 219 yards and once TD. Michigan allows 3.5 yards per take this season, and quarterback Josh Ross is a force with 86 tackles and 8.5 tackles on loss.
– Spencer Petras and Cade McNamara. Which midfielder will make the big throw when needed? Petras has completed 58.1% of his passes this season and made nine interceptions, and he will have to overcome pressure from the touchlines of Hutchinson (13 dribbles) and David Ojabo (11 cuts). Will that pressure create a game-changing play for the safety of Daxton Hill? Iowa has a secondary talent, and the Hawkeyes have had 22 interceptions and 82 hit points this season. McNamara has thrown just three interceptions this season after a high pass rate attack directed by offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.
Important Stats
The first quarter will be huge. Will Michigan carry the momentum from its win over Ohio State into this game? Or will there be an emotional disappointment? Michigan beat opponents 54-16 in the first quarter of this season. Iowa, meanwhile, trailed 68-46 in the first quarter. There’s more pressure on the Hawkeyes to build an early lead and control the tempo from there.
Iowa vs. Prediction. Michigan
It’s a big stage and an old-fashioned problem-solving game for Big Ten purists. Michigan played a similar game against Wisconsin this season. The defense is going to be huge, and don’t be surprised if Iowa experimented with passing early to build momentum. Harbaugh and Gattis will have to be patient with the game running, and they will. It won’t be comfortable at times, and Iowa may have a last-minute chance to get through the lap. But Michigan’s defense finally came to a halt, and the Wolverines advanced to the College Football Round.
The last point: Michigan 27, Iowa 19
