Western Michigan vs Iowa Odds: Are The Hawkeyes Capable of Scoring 30+ Points?

Fresh off a rivalry win against Iowa State, the Iowa Hawkeyes will take on the Western Michigan Broncos in Week 3.

The Hawkeyes are ranked in the AP 25 as the 25th-best team in the nation leading up to this game. The Hawkeyes haven’t dominated teams by any stretch of the imagination. But with a 10-point win over Utah State and a seven-point win over Iowa State, the Hawkeyes are now 2-0 to start the season.

On the other hand, Western Michigan defeated an FCS school in St. Francis, PA, but still allowed 17 points in a 35-17 win. Last week, the Broncos lost on the road to Western Michigan, 48-7.

Iowa is trending upwards, while Western Michigan is starting to falter.

Check out the Western Michigan vs Iowa odds in the Broncos’ second Power-Five game of the season.

Can Western Michigan Rebound From 41-Point Loss?

The Western Michigan Broncos weren’t expected to lead the MAC this year. However, they weren’t expected to lose to Syracuse by 41 points.

Western Michigan doesn’t have much playmaking ability on offense. The Broncos have a sophomore quarterback, Jack Salopek, who has thrown for more interceptions than touchdowns. He’s also thrown for just 280 yards in two games this season.

Last week against Syracuse, Salopek added 110 yards on 15 completions. He was sacked three times and finished with a QBR of 28.

Syracuse’s defense is excellent. Iowa’s defense is better.

Iowa has always been known for having one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. Therefore, Salopek will struggle immensely at quarterback in this game.

The Broncos have run the ball effectively throughout the first two games. They’ve added 218 yards on the ground per game behind Jalen Buckley. Buckley is a freshman runner who has averaged 7.4 yards per carry on 38 attempts. The freshman from Illinois won’t have that same success against Iowa, either.

On the other hand, Western Michigan isn’t terrible defensively. They’ve allowed under 400 yards per game, including just 102 yards per game on the ground. Syracuse scored 48 points, but one was a pick-six, for example.

But although the defense is solid, a pick-six is still in the cards for Iowa’s defense, just like it was for Syracuse last weekend. MAC teams will put together more challenging NCAAF schedules to prepare for conference play.

Hopefully, taking a couple of beatdowns will help Western Michigan prepare for lesser competition in the future.

Kirk Ferentz Earned His 200th Win!

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz added his 200th career win with a 20-13 victory over Iowa State. There’s no sweeter way to earn a milestone than beating an in-state rival.

Ferentz is in his 25th season with the Hawkeyes. He’s gone 188-115 with Iowa but is 200-136 all time.

Iowa won two Big Ten titles under Ferentz and the Big Ten West Division in 2015 and 2021.

Ferentz has also been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, the second-most in Big Ten history.

It’s rare to see coaches last two decades with a program, especially with a program that hasn’t won a national title. But Iowa knows that the grass isn’t always greener.

Ferentz is still fourth in the Big Ten in overall wins as a member of the Big Ten. He’s at 188 wins with Iowa but would need 206 wins to pass Woody Hayes of Ohio State.

He would also need to reach 154 conference wins to surpass Hayes in Big Ten Conference wins.

It’s unknown how long he’ll be able to coach. But Iowa just began the season 2-0 and will likely become 3-0 against Western Michigan on Saturday.

He belongs in the Big Ten as coach of Iowa.

Although some of his NCAA football scores are typically low-scoring and boring, nobody can deny that Ferentz knows defense.

Good on Iowa for holding onto a gem of a coach.

Western Michigan vs Iowa Odds

Iowa is -29 against Western Michigan for Saturday’s tilt. Meanwhile, the total is currently at 42.5. It’s moved down from 43.5 for most books.

Iowa, at -4000, is not a good parlay piece. But the Hawkeyes should ultimately win this game. We don’t think by 29.

I’m no fan of Western Michigan. The quarterback play has been dreadful, and the pass rush will likely be non-existent on the defensive side of things for the Broncos. However, the coverage in the secondary has potential, and the run defense isn’t all that bad. They’ve allowed just 102 yards per game on the ground.

That’s probably not sustainable against Iowa. But if Western Michigan can keep the Hawkeyes in front of them and let time tick away, Western Michigan will likely come out of this game with a cover.

On the other hand, Michigan transfer Cade McNamara has only thrown for 314 yards in two games. He’s also completed just 29 passes in two games while throwing two touchdowns and one interception. I thought he’d play better, especially with a dominant offensive line. But he truly doesn’t have that many playmakers around him.

Western Michigan has gained 413.5 yards per game. Iowa has earned just 259.5 yards per game. The key for the Broncos is to limit turnovers and earn enough yardage to get first downs in the run game consistently.

Western Michigan Will Cover!

The Western Michigan Broncos were 25-point underdogs against Syracuse and didn’t cover. However, both games for Western Michigan have gone Under the total.

On the other hand, Iowa’s first two games of the season have also gone Under the total. When the Hawkeyes were 24-point favorites against Utah State in Week 1, Iowa only earned 24 points and won 24-14.

Western Michigan’s offensive line is a talented group. It’s on Western Michigan’s quarterback, Salopek, to make intelligent decisions and limit turnovers.

If Iowa forces multiple turnovers, it’ll be a blowout. But if the Broncos stay conservative, try to get lots of first downs, and increase the time for each drive, the Broncos will likely cover.

There’s no guarantee that Iowa will even score 29 points. The last time the Hawkeyes scored 29+ points was against Northwestern on October 29 of last year. They’ve played seven games since.

Take our college football predictions and bet on Western Michigan to cover the +29 spread. Those Western Michigan vs Iowa odds are a little bit too high.

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