Best College Football Bets: Iowa vs Rutgers
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The Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) will travel to New Jersey Friday night to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-0), who pulled off a convincing win against FCS opponent Norfolk State in Week 3. After an embarrassing loss to intrastate rival Iowa State, the Hawkeyes got back in the win column with a 47-7 win over UMass. Friday's game should be a tense battle as both teams seek to get a leg up in the Big 10 standings.
Iowa vs Rutgers Betting Odds for Week 4
Spread: Iowa -2 (-118, BetRivers Sportsbook), Rutgers +2.5 (-108, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Total: Over 46.5 (-112, DraftKings Sportsbook), Under 47 (-115, BetRivers Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Iowa -125 (DraftKings Sportsbook), Rutgers +108 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
The spread for this game has stayed within a one-point margin all week, and there's been very little movement for the total. Iowa frequently commands lower initial lines for the Under, but the money hasn't moved significantly in either direction. The moneyline has moved around quite a bit, with more money flowing to the underdog toward the end of the week.
Rutgers 2025 ATS: 1-1-0
Iowa 2025 ATS: 1-1-1
Iowa vs Rutgers Betting Picks for Week 4
We've seen the Rutgers storyline before. The Scarlet Knights sign up some weak opponents, pull off some excellent results, then - BAM. The Big Ten schedule arrives. Rutgers goes off the rails. Rinse and repeat. It's happened numerous times throughout the years, and Iowa has often been a part of the dismantling. In 2023, Iowa beat Rutgers, 22-0. In 2022, 27-10. All in all, the Hawkeyes have outscored Rutgers 109-17 in the four meetings since Rutgers joined the Big 10 nine years ago. It would seem that the historical data gives Iowa a significant advantage in this series. Does it still hold water this year?
There's ample evidence for a pivot this time around. The Scarlet Knights appear deeper, faster and more explosive than in years past. Greg Schiano has leaned heavily on the pass and getting vertical as often as possible, with a great duo of running backs to keep defenses honest.
On the other side, the offense is still a work in progress. Quarterback transfer Mark Gronowski has experienced his share of growing pains, but he seemed a lot more settled last week against UMass. Iowa's Top-10 defense is what they lean on. The scheme is methodical, focused on controlling the tempo and time of possession. Although Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis is the stronger quarterback in this scenario, he's never faced a defense like this. In order to win, Kaliakmanis needs to get his wideouts behind the cornerbacks quickly, and his offensive line will need to match Iowa's physicality. If Kaliakmanis can convince Iowa's defense that it needs to spread out, he can give his backs more opportunities.
There are many avenues one can take in this game, so I won't settle on one. Rutgers +108 is a little too strong to pass up, but Iowa's historical supremacy as an Under target compels me to attack a total that's higher than it should be. Assuming 4 units, I'd lay 3 on the Total and 1 on the Moneyline.
Iowa vs Rutgers Expert Pick: Rutgers ML +108 (FanDuel Sportsbook); UNDER 47 (-115, BetRivers Sportsbook)
Iowa vs Rutgers Predictions for Week 4
We've already mentioned the duel between Gronowski and Kaliakmanis. It's true that Rutgers hasn't faced a defense of Iowa's caliber, but the same could be said of Iowa and its opposing quarterbacks. Rocco Becht's numbers were a little low, but he still moved the ball and got the job done. Even Albany's Jack Shields wasn't horrible. Without question, Kaliakmanis will be Iowa's toughest opposing passer yet. As for the running game, Rutgers is in good hands with Antwan Raymond and Ja'shon Benjamin, who have shredded opposing defenses so far. On Iowa's end, they are praying that they'll finally get Kamari Moulton back, because they lost backup Xavier Williams in last week's game and would be down to two healthy running backs who have had limited snaps. I would be inclined to sprinkle less of the ML bet if Moulton is healthy. Rutgers also sins the wideout race - Ian Strong (undisclosed) is questionable, but KJ Duff and DT Sheffield measure up better than Iowa's Jacob Gill and Seth Anderson.
In a home environment, Rutgers needs to have the element of surprise to keep Iowa on its heels. The Hawkeyes are accustomed to shellacking the Knights - if they are caught off-guard by a few quick first downs from Kaliakmanis, they might not adjust quickly enough.
Rutgers 20, Iowa 17
