The No. 22 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) look to extend their unbeaten streak as they play the Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1). A player to watch in this matchup is the Big 10’s top passer, Wes Lunt (1,107 yards, 8 TDs). It will begin Saturday, Oct 10 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Iowa beat Wisconsin 10-6 last week. Matt VandeBerg had a solid outing in the win, totaling six receptions for 61 yards. Illinois managed to get the win as well, barely getting past Nebraska 14-13. Geronimo Allison had an outstanding performance for the Fighting Illini, totaling eight receptions for 91 yards and one TD. Josh Ferguson finished with 50 rushing yards on four attempts.
The Hawkeyes, a 10-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Illinois visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently unavailable.
Heading into Week 6 of the college football season, the Hawkeyes are 5-0 Straight Up (SU) and 4-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Expect the 11th-ranked Hawkeyes run defense to cause headaches for the Fighting Illini run game. The Hawkeyes give up 84.4 rushing yards per game.
On the other side, the Fighting Illini have a record of 3-2 ATS and 4-1 SU. The Fighting Illini like to keep the ball in the air. On average, they pass 43 times per game. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Illinois defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. The Fighting Illini pass defense makes opponents earn every yard, allowing just 10.0 yards per pass.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Illinois
Notes
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Iowa is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Iowa’s last 7 games at home.
Iowa is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Illinois.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Iowa’s last 6 games when playing Illinois.
Iowa is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Illinois.
Illinois is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Iowa.
Illinois is 3-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Iowa is 4-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Since the beginning of last year, Iowa is 5-2 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Illinois is 3-4 SU against in-conference foes.
Illinois also seems to have an advantage in the passing game when comparing just conference ratings. Its offensive passing game (ranked third in the Big 10) will face the eighth-ranked pass defense of Iowa, while its third-ranked pass defense will look to control the eighth-ranked aerial attack of the Hawkeyes.
When analyzing just conference ratings, Iowa has the advantage in the run game. Its sixth-ranked rushing attack will face the 13th-ranked rush defense of Illinois, while its sixth-ranked run defense will look to contain the 13th-ranked run game of the Fighting Illini.
