After going a solid 9-4 a year ago and closing out the season with a three-game winning streak that included their Outback Bowl win over Mississippi State, the Iowa Hawkeyes will be looking to challenge for the Big Ten West title at the very least after finishing a distant fourth a year ago.
If you’re looking to find out just how many games Iowa will likely win this coming season in the hopes of cashing in big on their value-packed NCAAF win total odds in the online sportsbook, then you’ve come to the right place. Thanks to the expert collegiate gridiron analysis and predictions that you’re about to get, you’re going to have a great idea of just how many games the Big Ten title hopefuls are going to win in 2019 and whether they’ll challenge for the national championship. Now, let’s get down to business.
Iowa Hawkeyes 2019 Season Win / Loss Total Odds & Betting Prediction
2018 Team Leaders
- Touchdowns: Mekhi Sargent (10)
- Rushing: Mekhi Sargent (745)
- Passing: Nate Stanley (2852)
- Receiving: T.J. Hockenson (760)
- Interceptions: Jake Gervase (4)
Why Iowa Will Top Their Win Total Odds?
There are some good reasons to back the Hawkeyes to top their modest win total odds of 7½ victories in 2019. First, Iowa has an elite quarterback in senior Nate Stanley, even if he doesn’t seem to get the national recognition he probably deserves.
Stanley has thrown an identical 26 touchdown passes in each of the past two years and brings experience and leadership. Iowa also has an absolute legend in head coach Kirk Ferentz as he enters his 21st season.
In addition to that, the Hawkeyes have two experienced receivers in juniors Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith. Iowa’s top three running backs from last season also return and the Hawkeyes have a pair of future NFL performers in junior starting tackles Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs. Better yet, Iowa is loaded on defense. Junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa is arguably the best pass rusher in the Big Ten while junior Chauncey Golston has star potential as well. The Hawkeyes also have plenty of experience returning at linebacker and in the secondary.
Why Iowa Won’t Top Their Win Total Odds?
There are some good reasons to expect the Hawkeyes to come up short of topping their win total odds. Iowa lost, not one, but two, elite tight ends in Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, a pair that combined to catch 27 of Stanley’s 52 scoring strikes the last two seasons. Senior Nate Wieting is the only tight end on the current roster who has caught a pass in college, but he h just three receptions.
Then, there’s the fact that, with Stanley under center, the Hawkeyes can’t seem to make the big breakthrough when it matters most. Case in point, the Hawkeyes are an uninspiring 9-9 in conference games with him as the starter. Iowa is also clearly going to miss cornerback Amani Hooker after he bolted for the NFL Draft after winning the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year award last season.
Prediction
Iowa may have lost a handful of gifted players from last year’s team, but this is a program that still has plenty of talent to challenge, not to mention the fact that the Hawkeyes have managed to record at least eight victories in each of the last four seasons, including last year’s 9-4 mark.
Having said that, the Hawkeyes have a fairly tough schedule that includes difficult road dates at Iowa State, Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Throw in a home date against Penn State that could be a loss and two other home dates that aren’t freebies against Purdue and Minnesota and it’s kind of easy to see the Hawkeyes suffering six losses, though seven defeats may be a stretch. I’m going with Iowa to suffer five losses to finish at 7-5 and just under their win total odds.
Pick: 7 Wins
