The Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. EST on CBS.
Iowa is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -240. The total is set at 38.5 points.
Here’s my Iowa vs. Nebraska predictions and college football picks for Saturday, November 28, 2025.
Iowa vs Nebraska Prediction
• Iowa vs. Nebraska Pick: Iowa -7 or Better
My Nebraska vs. Iowa best bet is on the Hawkeyes to cover. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Iowa vs Nebraska Odds
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 38.5 -110o / -110u | -240 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 38.5 -110o / -110u | +195 |
- Iowa vs Nebraska point spread: Iowa -6 (-110), Nebraska +6 (-110)
- Iowa vs Nebraska over/under: 38.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Iowa vs Nebraska moneyline: Iowa -240, Nebraska +195
Iowa vs Nebraska Preview
Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview: Pushing Past Predictability on Offense
An outstanding October turned into a November to forget for Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have lost two of their past three games and nearly made it three straight, as they needed some late-game heroics to stave off Michigan State, 20-17, as a 17-point home favorite.
Mark Gronowski managed to pull through on the final drive, but the first three quarters featured 30 passing yards and two turnovers. It was as bad as Iowa’s offense has looked since last season, and it wasn’t because Michigan State fields a feisty defense.
That showing followed a blown 21-7 lead to USC, where Iowa scored zero second-half points.
Despite having a Week 10 bye on Nov. 1, Iowa appears to be running low on gas. It couldn’t finish the USC game, lost a heartbreaker to USC, and started dreadfully slow against Michigan State.
There’s at least a bit of panic needed.
The last two weeks featured Iowa’s first consecutive losses since 2022 and brought Kirk Ferentz to 65-43-4 (58%) against the spread following a loss.
Part of the problem is Iowa’s predictability on short-yardage plays.
Gronowski leads the Hawkeyes with 13 rushing touchdowns against running back Kamari Moulton’s two on 139 carries. Gronowski has made a career off quarterback counters from his days at South Dakota State, but Iowa isn’t afforded the same talent gap that makes spamming one concept effective.
Iowa converts just over 38% of its third-down attempts, ranking 72nd nationally.
The Hawkeyes still field one of the country’s premier secondaries. Zach Lutmer is the next All-American caliber corner in black and gold, and neither TJ Hall nor Deshaun Lee presents much better target options, combining for 10 pass breakups and three interceptions.
But in November, the magic number appears to be 21. Score 21 points, and a victory appears more likely than not.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Preview: Growing Pains for Backup QB Lateef
Life comes at you fast if you’re Nebraska freshman TJ Lateef.
In his starting debut, Lateef went 13-for-15 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 28-21 win over 3-8 UCLA. The following week, Lateef completed 21 passes for just 187 yards and no scores in a 37-10 loss at Penn State.
That loss was even worse than the final indicates. Penn State recorded a 70% stop rate versus Nebraska’s 16%. The Nittany Lions dared Lateef to take the game into his own hands and beat down the Huskers’ defense with a run-heavy attack.
Nebraska has been handled at the line of scrimmage all season, and the run defense has been a concern since Day 1. The Huskers rank 125th nationally in Rushing Success Rate allowed. Against run-heavy teams like Penn State and Minnesota, the results are ugly.
So, bearing down in Week 14 is Iowa, which rushes the ball on nearly 60% of all offensive snaps and 64% over its last three games – the definition of a physical rushing team.
This game is massive if you’re a Nebraska regular-season wins ticket holder, a number that sat at 7.5 all summer long. At 7-5 and as a six-point underdog, Nebraska needs the outright upset to usurp its RSW total and reach eight wins for the first time since 2016.
The problem? Matt Rhule is just 6-13 against teams that played in a bowl in Lincoln. Iowa comes into the game at 7-4 and is already bowl eligible.
It feels like another underwhelming season for Nebraska without its starting quarterback — Dylan Raiola is out for the season — a bad run defense, and a projected 7-5 final.
Iowa vs Nebraska Pick, Betting Analysis
Pack a jacket for this game on Friday – the forecast in Lincoln calls for highs in the 30s, winds in the mid-teens, and potentially snow.
It’s Big Ten West football at its finest.
Iowa was lined as a 2.5-point underdog on game-of-the-year lines but enters this week as a six-point road favorite. The Hawkeyes have won nine of the past 10 matchups in this rivalry, including six straight in Lincoln since Nebraska joined the Big Ten (2011).
Nebraska’s concerns at the line of scrimmage are a significant issue, and it doesn’t have the offense capable of offsetting defensive woes this weekend.
Lateef looked calm under pressure in Happy Valley, but he didn’t do anything with the football. He didn’t turn it over, but he didn’t help his team score, resulting in a big old net zero.
Lateef is going to have to do something this weekend if Nebraska wants to notch its best season in a decade.
Iowa’s offensive line generates over two line yards per carry, among the three best pushes in college football. With that kind of push, expect Moulton and Gronowski to enjoy some good chunk rushing throughout the day.
Nebraska also really struggles with perimeter runs, meaning Moulton could break a few.
Despite a worrisome November, I’m choosing to back the Hawkeyes for two reasons:
- Ferentz is a 58% ATS coach coming off a loss (2-2 this year)
- Nebraska is terrible against quality opponents
Iowa should win the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides, and its secondary is stingy enough to keep Lateef in check and overwhelmed. Nebraska doesn’t have the receivers to beat this secondary.
And if the Huskers want to get into a run-the-ball contest, few teams do it better than Iowa.
This rivalry is all Hawkeyes, and that continues for another year.
Pick: Iowa -7 or Better
Iowa vs Nebraska Betting Trends
