Iowa vs Penn State Odds: Betting Public Backing Nittany Lions at Home
Spread Grows From 10.5 to 14.5 in Favor of Nittany Lions
The seventh-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions will look to maintain their undefeated start when they host No. 24 Iowa on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State opened as a 10.5-point favorite but has seen the spread jump to 14.5 points (-110). The Nittany Lions are also -600 on the moneyline, while the Hawkeyes are +14.5 (-110) on the spread and +460 to win outright. The projected total is 40 (-107 Over, -113 Under).
Can the Hawkeyes hang with the Nittany Lions on the road? Read on as we break down the matchup in our Iowa vs Penn State odds preview.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions 
Date/Time: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Beaver Stadium; University Park, Pa.
Streaming: CBS
Betting Trends
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 7-2 in their last nine games against the spread. They’re also 6-1 ATS in their last seven road contests. The Penn State Nittany Lions, meanwhile, are 9-0-1 ATS in their last 10 games. The total has gone Over in five of the previous seven matchups between these teams. That’s important to remember when assessing the Iowa vs Penn State odds.
Penn State Climbing Oddsboard
The Penn State Nittany Lions are 3-0 after opening Big Ten play with a 30-13 rout of Illinois. The Nittany Lions, 14-point favorites, intercepted Luke Altmyer four times and produced five turnovers in all to move to 3-0 against the spread.
Penn State is now ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll, one of three teams from the Big Ten inside the Top 10. The others are no secret: No. 2 Michigan and No. 6 Ohio State.
In a sense, Penn State has been as good as advertised. The Nittany Lions, led by quarterback Drew Allar, were projected for 9.5 regular-season wins. After three weeks, they’ve seen their national championship odds climb from +2000 to +1600, putting them right alongside perennial powerhouse Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions are also +325 to make the College Football Playoff per college football odds.
Whether they can cash in those odds will largely depend on their performance against the upper echelon of the Big Ten, starting Saturday against Iowa. The Nittany Lions will also visit Ohio State on Oct. 21 and host Michigan on Nov. 11. If they can hold their own in those games on the NCAA football schedules and reach the conference championship in Indianapolis, anything is possible.
They’re fortunate to have Allar, who has completed 67% of his passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns per NCAAF player stats. More importantly, he’s yet to throw an interception. He remains a +3500 longshot to win the Heisman Trophy.
Iowa Hanging in Big Ten Race
So far, so good for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who throttled Western Michigan 41-10 to improve to 3-0 (2-1 ATS). The Hawkeyes, a 28.5-point favorite, rushed for 254 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
Following the victory, Iowa climbed one spot to No. 24 in the AP Top 25 poll. The Hawkeyes are one of four teams ranked from the Big Ten, joining No. 2 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State. Projected for 7.5 wins, they’re well on their way to beating expectations.
If there’s one glaring question about the Hawkeyes, it’s can they produce enough offensively to win big? The Hawkeyes were dismal in that regard last season, ranking second-to-last nationally in yards per game (251.6). Seeking to upgrade that unit this offseason, the Hawkeyes brought aboard Michigan transfer Cade McNamara.
McNamara has delivered mixed results to this point, completing 53.5% of his passes for four touchdowns and three interceptions. The Hawkeyes are now averaging 302 yards per game. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Iowa vs Penn State odds.
They’re +1200 to win the Big Ten but remain off the CFP oddsboard.
Handicapping the Game
This is a tall order for Iowa. A really, really tall order. The Hawkeyes are a quality team, but they’re not skilled enough offensively to beat the Nittany Lions on the road in primetime. That said, 14.5 points is a big number.
Penn State may — no, check that, should — win, but look for Iowa to stay within two touchdowns. Notably, Iowa is just 2-4 ATS in its last six games in Happy Valley.
For NCAAF betting news, odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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