2016 Iowa Hawkeyes Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/3/2016

2015 Record: 12-2

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 8.5*

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'

The Hawkeyes lived a charmed life in 2015, enjoying somewhat of a dream season while also serving as one of the most controversial teams in college football. Iowa was 12-2 and just a few points shy of knocking off Michigan State in the Big Ten title game, which would've vaulted the Hawkeyes into the college playoff. Instead they settled for an unceremonious thrashing in the Rose Bowl at the hands of Stanford.

The big question about Iowa last year was, "How good was this team, really?" Iowa played a comically easy schedule - their only games against Top 25 teams all year came against Wisconsin and Northwestern - and they still had to gut out wins, winning three times by five points or less.

Iowa has to start back at square one this fall. But I think that this team will actually be better than last year's group. Senior quarterback C.J. Beathard is a lot better than people think. He doesn't have any high-end skill position players to work with. But Beathard has three line starters back, and he does a great job of coordinating the unit.

Defensively, Iowa is excellent. And they have eight starters back with plenty of experience and talent at all three levels. Senior corner Desmond King is a four-year starter and an All-American. Iowa is stacked in their back seven and can hold up against a variety of different attacks.

I'm not sure who the Hawkeyes have been bribing to get these schedules, but they once again have a pretty cushy gig. Iowa starts the year with four of their first five games at home, and their first three road games come against Rutgers, Minnesota and Purdue. They also get their three toughest opponents - Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska - all at home. If they are as good as they have claimed to be they will have a chance to pick up a lot of W's.

I rolled my eyes along with everyone else at the notion that Iowa was one of the best teams in the country last year. But even so, this season win total is still a bit of a shock. This is a tough-minded, well-coached team that got a big taste of success last year. This season all their toughest opponents come to Iowa City, and their road games are winnable.

That being said, I would play this one 'under'. After their 11-win campaign in 2009 they slid back to 8-5 the following season. They are going to lose two of their three big home conference games. I also think they'll suffer a couple of upsets. That this line is so low is a bit of an indicator. Iowa is going to straddle this line, coming in with either eight or nine victories. But I would play it 'under', albeit tepidly.

2016 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
Sat, Sep 3rd, 2016	Miami_Ohio	03:30 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Sep 10th, 2016	Iowa_State	07:30 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Sep 17th, 2016	North_Dakota_State	12:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Sep 24th, 2016	at Rutgers	12:00 PM	High Point Stadium
Sat, Oct 1st, 2016	Northwestern	12:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Oct 8th, 2016	at Minnesota	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Oct 15th, 2016	at Purdue	12:00 PM	Ross-Ade Stadium
Sat, Oct 22nd, 2016	Wisconsin	01:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Nov 5th, 2016	at Penn_State	07:30 PM	Beaver Stadium
Sat, Nov 12th, 2016	Michigan	08:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Nov 19th, 2016	at Illinois	01:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Fri, Nov 25th, 2016	Nebraska	01:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium

All Times EST

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past five years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with four of six winning seasons. Robert tallied over $20,000 in football profit between 2011 and 2016, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has eight of nine winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

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