Minnesota vs Iowa NCAA Football Picks Against the Spread 11/16/2019

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Kinnick Stadium

Nathan Stanley and the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Minnesota opens this game as 3-point dogs. The Golden Gophers are 6-2-1 ATS and 6-3-0 when betting on the total. The Hawkeyes are 2-6-1 when wagering on the over/under and 4-5-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Minnesota Golden Gophers played the Penn State Nittany Lions and earned the win by a score of 31-26. Rodney Smith paced the team on the ground in the game. He tore off a long run of 11 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for 51 yards by way of 18 carries which meant he averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Rashod Bateman led the team in receiving yardage by earning 203 yards on 7 receptions. He averaged 29.0 yards per catch in the game. Running the show from under center for the Golden Gophers was Tanner Morgan who went 18/20 with 339 yards through the air and added 3 touchdowns. He ended the game with no interceptions. The Golden Gophers ended up rushing 40 times and totaled 121 yards which gave them an average of 3.0 yards per attempt. For the game, they totaled 60 plays for a total of 460 yards. For the game, the Golden Gophers totaled 20 first downs and they had a total of 5 infractions for 40 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When it comes to their defensive performance, Minnesota gave up 23 completions on 44 throws for a total of 340 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.3%. In the game, they gave up a total of 518 yards and forced 3 takeaways. In the running game, the Golden Gophers gave up 178 yards on 29 runs which is an average of 6.1 yards per attempt allowed.

The Golden Gophers head into this matchup 9-0 for 2019. For total yards, they rank 4th in the Big Ten Conference and 51st in Division 1 with 3,896 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 37.6 points per contest, which has them at 15th in Division 1. As a unit, they have an average of 195.2 rushing yards per contest which is 3rd in the Big Ten. The Golden Gophers have one of the top tier defenses in D-1, allowing 20.7 points per game putting them 7th in the Big Ten Conference. When talking about yards on the ground, Minnesota is giving up 124.1 yards per contest putting them 7th in the Big Ten and 27th in college football. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.9 yards per rush ranking them 8th in the Big Ten and 47th in college football overall. In total, they have conceded 1,117 yards rushing through 9 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Golden Gophers have allowed 2,139 yards. Opponents are completing 53.5% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.1 yards per try.

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In their last contest, the Iowa Hawkeyes went up against the Wisconsin Badgers and were beaten 24-22. Toren Young paced the team on the ground in the game. He tore off a long run of 12 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for 44 yards on 9 carries which meant he averaged 4.9 yards per run. Tyrone Tracy Jr. was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 130 yards on 5 catches. He averaged 26.0 yards per reception in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Hawkeyes was Nate Stanley who went 17/28 with 208 yards passing and threw 2 TD's. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Hawkeyes ran the ball 22 times and earned 88 yards which gave them an average of 4.0 yards per run. For the game, the Hawkeyes totaled 15 first downs and they had 3 penalties for 25 yards telling us that this team was extremely focused in this game. In all, they ran 50 plays which added up to 296 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Iowa gave up 16 completions on 25 attempts totaling 173 yards, and a completion percentage of 64.0%. In the running game, the Hawkeyes gave up 302 yards on 44 runs which is an average of 6.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they gave up 475 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

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The Hawkeyes head into this game 6-3. Iowa is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 139.3 yards on the ground per contest, which has them at 93rd in the country. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,254 rushing yards through 9 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Hawkeyes average 381.9 yards per game overall which has them at 84th in the country and 8th in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are allowing 11.7 points per contest which puts them at 2nd in the Big Ten Conference and 4th in Division 1. In terms of points allowed, they have given up 105 points in total. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are allowing 112.7 yards per contest which puts them at 20th in the nation and 5th in the Big Ten Conference. For this year, they have conceded a total of 1,014 yards on the ground and 2.7 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the elite groups in D-1. They are giving up 176.9 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Hawkeyes are ranked 5th in the Big Ten.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Hawkeyes -3

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