Iowa vs Northwestern NCAA Football Point Spread Picks 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Ryan Field

Ryan Field is the site where Hunter Johnson and the Northwestern Wildcats will play the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Northwestern opens this matchup as 9.5-point dogs. The Hawkeyes are 2-5-0 ATS and 1-5-1 when betting on the total. The Wildcats are 2-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Iowa Hawkeyes played the Purdue Boilermakers and won 26-20. Mekhi Sargent paced the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 21 yards and he added 1 TD for the contest. He rushed for 68 yards via 13 carries which meant he averaged 5.2 yards per tote. Brandon Smith led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 106 yards on 9 receptions. He had an average of 11.8 yards per catch for the game. Leading the way at QB for the Hawkeyes was Nate Stanley who went 23/33 with 260 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He gave away 1 pick on the day. The Hawkeyes ran the ball a total of 33 times and racked up 102 yards which gave them an average of 3.1 yards per rushing attempt. In the game, the Hawkeyes earned a total of 19 first downs and they totaled 7 infractions for 60 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In all, they totaled 66 plays for a total of 362 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Iowa gave up 30 catches on 50 attempts totaling 327 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.0%. Overall, they conceded a total of 360 yards and forced 2 takeaways. On the ground, the Hawkeyes gave up 33 yards on 18 tries which is an average of 1.8 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Hawkeyes come into this game with a record of 5-2 this year. For total yardage, they currently sit at 7th in the Big Ten Conference and 63rd in college football with 2,839 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country averaging 25 points per game, putting them 90th in college football. As a team, they are averaging 149 rushing yards per contest which is 9th in the conference. The Hawkeyes have one of the best defenses in the nation, giving up 11.6 points per game putting them 4th in the conference. In regard to yards on the ground, Iowa is allowing 92.6 yards per game which has them at 3rd in the Big Ten Conference and 9th in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.3 yards per rush putting them 5th in the Big Ten Conference and 26th in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 648 rushing yards through 7 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Hawkeyes have conceded 1,796 yards. Opponents are completing 57.7% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.0 yards per try.

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In their last outing, the Northwestern Wildcats faced the Ohio State Buckeyes and lost 52-3. Running the show from under center for the Wildcats was Aidan Smith who went 6/20 with 42 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 1 pick on the day. Isaiah Bowser led the team on the ground for that game. His longest run of the day went for 16 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He scurried for 65 yards by way of 16 carries which means he ran for an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Riley Lees was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 19 yards on 3 catches. He notched an average of 6.3 yards per catch for that game. The Wildcats ran the ball a total of 47 times and racked up a total of 157 yards which earned them an average of 3.3 yards per carry. In the game, they finished with a total of 68 plays for 199 yards. Overall, the Wildcats racked up a total of 14 1st downs and they totaled 8 penalties for 76 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. In terms of defense, Northwestern gave up 19 completions on 26 throws totaling 201 yards, and a completion percentage of 73.1%. On the ground, the Wildcats gave up 279 yards on 37 tries which is an average of 7.5 yards per run allowed. Overall, they conceded a total of 480 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers.

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The Wildcats come into this game with a record of 1-5. Northwestern is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 153.3 yards on the ground per game, putting them 81st in Division 1. As a unit, they have a total of 920 yards rushing through 6 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Wildcats average 277.3 yards per game overall which has them at 128th in D-1 and 13th in the Big Ten. The Wildcats are allowing 25.2 points per contest ranking them 9th in the conference and 54th in D-1. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 151 points in total. In terms of yards on the ground, they are allowing 166.5 yards per game which puts them at 77th in the nation and 11th in the Big Ten Conference. For this year, they have given up 999 yards on the ground and 7.2 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the best groups in the country. They are allowing 180.2 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Wildcats currently sit at 6th in the Big Ten.

Who will win tonight's Hawkeyes/Wildcats college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Hawkeyes -9.5

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