What Are Iowa’s Big Ten Odds? Season Win Total Preview & Pick

Danny Mogollon

I hope Iowa fans appreciate this current run. The last time they finished in the top 25 four-straight seasons was in the mid-1980s under Hayden Fry. This isn’t the golden age of Hawkeyes football—Fry’s teams were better, and they had five top-10 finishes over eight years in the 1950s—but it’s not far off, even if they don’t reach peaks high enough to shut up the Colin Cowherd’s (Fake ID) of the world.

Iowa Hawkeyes 2022 Big Ten Preview

2021 Record: 10-4 (7-2); Big Ten Finish: Won B1G West

AP Poll: NR (28) | Coaches Poll: NR (26) | PFF: No. 18 | SP+: No. 27

Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz: 178-110 | 25th Season | Overall: 84-42

Offensive Coordinator: Brian Ferentz (6th Season)

Defensive Coordinator: Phil Parker (11th Season)

Futures Odds @ FanDuel

National Championship Odds: +20000

B1G Championship Odds: +2000

Win 10 Games: +800

Regular Season Wins: OVER 7.5 -105 | UNDER 7.5 -115

2022 Sneak Peak

Origin of Optimism: A loaded front seven that could have five All-B1G performers.

Cause for Concern: An offense with too many negative plays and not enough big ones.

Breakout Player: WR Arland Bruce IV, Sophomore

It’s a disappointing 2022 if they have their first losing record in B1G play since 2017.

It’s a successful 2022 if the Hawkeyes finish ranked for the fifth-straight season.

Schedule

With South Dakota State (FCS), Nevada (4.5-season win total), and Iowa State (six-game winning streak) all at home, the Hawkeyes are set up for a successful start to the season. However, the Big Ten schedule is challenging with Michigan and Ohio State among their crossover games and five road contents (including at Purdue and Minnesota).

OVER/UNDER 7.5

I’m not wildly bullish on the Hawkeyes going into the season, but they can take a step back from last season’s 10-win campaign (all regular season wins) to 8-4 and still clear the over. This might be the best defense in the Big Ten and the best of the Kirk Ferentz era, and he’s won at least eight regular season games in five of his past six full seasons (they were 6-2 in 2020).

Several players along the offensive line got better as the season went along, so they could be better in pass protection in 2022, while the downhill running styles of the Williams boys (Gavin and Leshon) are a better fit for the Iowa offense.

Not counting a trip to Illinois and Nebraska at home (plausible upsets), Iowa has five very losable games, but this defense is too good to lose them all. They should start 6-2, which puts them on the path to eight or nine wins with potential hedging opportunities in November.