Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Saturday, 11/15/14, 12:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Iowa -5.5
Current Betting Line: Iowa -3.5
Opening Total: 57
Current Total: 57
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Iowa has alternated wins and losses over its last four games, as it looks to bounce back from a 51-14 blowout defeat to the Minnesota Golden Gophers as 1.5-point road favorites last week, while going OVER the betting total for a fourth consecutive affair. The Hawkeyes are 29-38-2 SU all-time in this Big Ten Conference series, which is important to consider when making your Week 12 college football predictions, with the last meeting coming in 2008. Iowa is 5-2 SU and 3-4 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 10 points the last two-plus seasons, with the UNDER going 6-1 in that situation.
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in pass defense during conference games, which can’t be ignored when looking over the college football betting lines, while the offense ranks second in the league in that category at 232.8. Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 94-38 margin in the first quarter this year, with the plus-56 differential ranking 10th in the country. It’s important to point out that the squad has three wins when trailing or tied at the half this year.
Illinois is expecting to have quarterback Wes Lunt back under center after missing three games with a fractured fibula, which is important due to the fact that he ranked in the top 20 in the nation in completions per game, passing yards per game and passing touchdowns at the time of the injury. The Fighting Illini have a major target for him down the field in freshman wide receiver Mike Dudek, who has 707 receiving yards on 45 catches. Illinois is 2-6 SU and 4-4 ATS as underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points the last two-plus seasons.
The Fighting Illini have the ability to run the football, with junior running back Josh Ferguson being one of only seven players in the country with over 500 yards on the ground and 300 receiving yards. Illinois has faced the 16th-toughest schedule in the country to this point, with its opponents posting a 37-21 SU record versus FBS foes.
Sports bettors will likely back the Hawkeyes due to their 3-1 SUATS mark as road favorites since 2012.
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