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The Iowa Hawkeyes have been one of the breakout surprises so far during the 2021 season. They were expected to contend for the Big Ten West, but expectations have to be raised as they will enter Saturday’s game against the Colorado State Rams as the No. 5 team in the country. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET from Kinnick Stadium and can be seen on FS1.
Below is a look at where the lines currently stand and what bettors are doing with their money. All odds and info are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Point Spread
Oddsmakers are listing Iowa as 23.5-point favorites heading into Saturday, and bettors are not giving Colorado State much of a chance to cover this spread. Bettors are taking the Hawkeyes with 86% of the handle and 88% of bets.
Is the public right?
Iowa is one of the most interesting teams in the sport because the ways they are winning. Despite the high ranking, the Hawkeyes average just 4.4 yards per play offensively, which is 109th out of 130 FBS teams. Iowa’s success has come by forcing takeaways with eight through the first three games. Relying on turnovers to win is not likely to be all that sustainable in the long run, but the Hawkeyes defense is good enough to shut down Colorado State, so we’re siding with the public in this spot and taking Iowa.
Point Total
Oddsmakers set the over/under at 44 and while 57% of bets are going toward the over, bigger bets are coming in on the under, which has 63% of the handle.
Is the public right?
We’re betting on the Iowa defense in this game and once again, the Hawkeyes offense will not need to do a ton of work in getting this victory. Colorado State’s rushing defense ranks No. 8 in opponent rushing yards per attempt, but Iowa should still keep the ball on the ground a significant amount to run this clock down and cash the under, so we’re going where the money is headed on the total.
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