The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Iowa is favored by 9 points on the spread with a moneyline of -340. Minnesota, meanwhile, enters as a +9 underdog and is +275 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 39.5 points.
Here’s my Minnesota vs. Iowa prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 25.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction, Picks
- Minnesota vs. Iowa Pick: Minnesota +8.5
My Iowa vs. Minnesota best bet is on the Gophers to cover the spread on the road. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Minnesota vs Iowa Odds, Line, Spread
| Minnesota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 39.5 -108o / -112u | +260 |
| Iowa Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 39.5 -108o / -112u | -345 |
- Minnesota vs Iowa Spread: Iowa -8.5, Minnesota +8.5
- Minnesota vs Iowa Over/Under: 39.5
- Minnesota vs Iowa Moneyline: Minnesota ML +260, Iowa ML -345
Minnesota vs Iowa NCAAF Week 9 Preview
Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview
A year after finding a solid transfer quarterback to plug and play, Minnesota decided to roll with the homegrown Drake Lindsey. The freshman has done what's asked of him: Don't turn the ball over, and let the offense run through Darius Taylor.
Through seven games, Lindsey has 10 touchdown passes against three interceptions but an average of just 6.9 yards per attempt — sixth-worst in the Big Ten.
Taylor is the engine that runs the offense. However, he's dealt with off-and-on injuries throughout his three years in Minneapolis — two games this year (Weeks 5 and 6) and most of the 2023 season.
Taylor feasted against Nebraska (148 yards) and Buffalo (130 yards), but stouter defenses like Ohio State (12 yards!) and — checks notes — Purdue (32 yards) bottled him up.
Taylor also hasn't ripped off long runs like he did last year. Few teams are worse in the explosive play department than Minnesota, resulting in an offense that has scored 30 only once against FBS competition this year.
Fortunately for Minnesota, another strong Gopher defense has led the way to a 5-2 record (3-1 in the Big Ten). Minnesota is one of the country's quieter decent teams whose reputation is clouded by an early 27-14 loss at Cal.
Edge Anthony Smith is playing at an all-conference level with 28 pressures and nine sacks (tied for third-most). The secondary is still young and gaining valuable experience, but Minnesota's pass rush brushes over the inexperience.
Two teams ahead on the schedule are below .500, and Northwestern is a winnable road game, paving the way for a 7-5 season for this Minnesota team.
The Gophers are far below the top of the Big Ten, but they're a team that should warrant looks on a week-to-week basis.
Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview
Under the college football definition of "half-team," you may find the Iowa offense's profile. It's too good not to share here (via Game on Paper):
Mark Gronowski hasn't fixed Iowa's passing attack (or, more accurately, its lack thereof), but he's turned into one of the best rushing threats in the Big Ten with 10 rushing touchdowns.
Despite the success on the ground, he hasn't thrown for 200 yards in a game yet this year, and he's gone under 90 yards three times.
And yet, Iowa stands 5-2 with a 3-1 Big Ten record — its only loss being a five-point defeat to scorching-hot Indiana.
So long as Phil Parker conducts the defense, there aren't many questions to sit on; the Hawkeye defense remains an elite national unit. It held the Hoosiers to 20 points, though Rutgers and Penn State both usurped that number (28 and 24, respectively).
It's not an impenetrable defense, though, as the front has been pushed around a bit. Penn State managed to win the battle up front last week, and it's been difficult replacing a pair of all-world linebackers in Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson.
The strength of the defense comes, once again, in its cornerbacks. Zach Lutmer is one of the highest-graded corners in the Big Ten, and TJ Hall has been an excellent complement.
There's a reason Iowa ranks inside the top 10 nationally in opposing plays of 20-plus yards allowed through seven games.
November games will put pressure on Gronowski and the offense to pick up the pace through the air, but this week's rivalry showdown with Minnesota likely won't.
Minnesota vs Iowa NCAAF Week 9 Pick
There's nothing quite like a vintage Iowa point total under 40. Minnesota opened as a +8.5 underdog, and the total opened at a robust 39.5 points.
Iowa City is looking at some rain and breezy conditions during this game. A more favorable severe weather setup has since fizzled, and all we're left with is mild wind and rain — perfect weather for the Floyd of Rosedale game.
Minnesota has actually played quite well in Iowa City lately. In 2023, the Gophers beat Iowa, 12-10 (nothing controversial from that… right?), and in the prior four meetings, Minnesota lost by a combined 21 points.
Outside of 40-35 and 48-31 games in 2015 and 2018, these are consistently low-scoring affairs. Both teams have failed to crack 23 points eight times since 2015.
Neither quarterback threatens downfield, and both offensive identities quite literally run through the ground game. Both defenses also happen to field very good rush defenses.
College football is full of surprises, but this game has been the definition of consistency for a decade.
An ugly 27-14 loss at Cal (that kicked off at 9:30 p.m. CT) really dampened Minnesota's outlook early in the season. A 24-6 win over Nebraska, overrated though the Huskers were heading in, showed Minnesota has more fight than its power rating may suggest.
This is a team built to play ugly, low-scoring affairs. Against Iowa, how much is really going to change?
In a game with a total this low, good practice says to take the points with the underdog, even if it's on the road.
Pick: Minnesota +8.5
Minnesota vs Iowa Betting Trends to Know
