Iowa at Wisconsin line, prediction, odds: Big Ten West lead, Heartland Trophy on the line

Control of the Big Ten West is on the line when the Iowa Hawkeyes tangle with the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend. The Badgers are a double-digit favorite at home against the rival Hawkeyes.

Wisconsin is off to a strong start under first-year head coach Luke Fickell. The Badgers’ only loss thus far came on the road against Washington State and they have won their first two Big Ten contests.

While Fickell has worked to put his stamp on this program one thing that hasn’t changed is Wisconsin’s success running the football. The Badgers are leading the Big Ten and rank 19th nationally in rushing at 204 yards per game. Braelon Allen has gone over 100 yards in back-to-back games and is averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He’ll be the focus of an Iowa defense that has allowed just one rushing touchdown through six games.

Fickell has tried to bring more balance to Wisconsin’s offense. The Badgers are in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in pass attempts per game but senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai has struggled to find his rhythm. The SMU transfer is completing 64.2 percent of his attempts with as many touchdowns as interceptions (three each).

Meanwhile, Iowa is relying on a backup quarterback the rest of the way after Michigan transfer Cade McNamara tore his ACL in the win against Michigan State two weeks ago. Sophomore Deacon Hill replaced McNamara last Saturday and he picked up the win against Purdue in his first-ever start but the sophomore completed just six of 21 passes for 110 yards. The big offensive boost came from running back Kaleb Johnson, who ran for 134 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore had missed the past three games due to an ankle injury.

The Hawkeyes need all the offensive production they can muster. They enter this game ranked second to last in the nation in total yards per game at less than 250. They also are 131st out of 133 FBS teams in passing offense (129.8 yards per game). That signals trouble heading into this matchup against Wisconsin, even if the Badgers haven’t been quite as stingy on defense compared to previous seasons.

All odds from BetMGM. Looking for College Football tickets? Find them here.

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How to watch and stream Iowa at Wisconsin

Possession of the Heartland Trophy will be up for grabs on Saturday when these teams face off from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be streamed on the Fox Sports app.