Michigan football vs. Iowa: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under in Big Ten Championship Game

Michigan football will be seeking its third straight Big Ten title on Saturday night and here is all the key info including odds and how to watch vs. Iowa. 

Following another epic win over Ohio State on Saturday, Michigan football has won the Big Ten East title for the third straight season.

That means another trip for Indianapolis and the opponent will be Iowa, just like it was back in the 2021 Big Ten championship game.

The Hawkeyes are no joke. Their offense has struggled this season but Iowa was undefeated during the month of November and is 10-2. They are likely to be ranked in the top 15 in the College Football Playoff Rankings.

With all the other undefeated and one-loss teams in the top seven, Michigan football probably can’t afford a loss to Iowa. If things worked out, the Wolverines could still make it into the top four, although somehow earning a top seed would be the best-case scenario.

There won’t be Cade McNamara and Erick All, who are each out for the season. The Hawkeyes also won’t have Cooper Dejean.

But like I said, Kirk Ferentz and company have found a way 10 other times this season, so with that in mind, here’s the key info and our early prediction for Michigan football vs. Iowa.

Michigan football vs. Iowa odds

The Wolverines are a 23-point favorite against Iowa right now according to DraftKings. The over/under is listed at 35.5, while the money line is -2800 for Michigan and +1300 for Iowa.

Michigan vs. Iowa How to watch

Date: Dec. 2
Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
Venue: Indy
How to Watch: Fox | Fubo TV

Michigan football vs. Iowa Players to watch

Michigan:  QB J.J. McCarthy

The defense should be able to limit Iowa this week. However, the key is going to be the offense taking care of the ball. McCarthy has been spectacular at that this season with just four interceptions. McCarthy didn’t have any last week against Ohio State and if the offense doesn’t give the ball away to the Hawkeyes, it’s hard to see them pulling the upset.

Yet, running the ball won’t be easy. We have seen Michigan find success against Penn State and Ohio State. Iowa is also very stout though and it could force McCarthy to lead the offense without much ground game.

Iowa: RB Leshon Williams

Iowa is going to need a good game from Deacon Hill — no question about it. But if that’s going to happen, Iowa is going to need to be successful on the ground.

Williams is coming off a huge game though and he did it against Nebraska, which entered last week as the top-run defense in the Big Ten, allowing less than three yards per carry.

Wiliams ran 16 times for 111 yards against the Huskers. If he has that kind of success against Michigan football on Saturday night, then Iowa might just have a chance.

Michigan fooball vs. Iowa prediction against the spread

This isn’t going to be easy. Anyone assuming that Michigan is going to cruise to the Big Ten title on Saturday night needs to think twice.

Iowa is really motivated and Deacon Hill has actually started to play some decent football. The tight ends are coming along and this is a typical Iowa team. It’s salty on defense, good in the trenches, and exceptional on special teams.

The good news is that Michigan football is good in all those areas too. The difference is that the Wolverines have elite skill guys — at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and in the secondary.

Michigan also has the best linebackers in the league and I don’t see Iowa having much success throwing the ball. The Hawkeyes will move the ball a little. I think they’ll even score a touchdown at some point in the first half, but the Wolverines will pull away in the second half.

This Michigan team is on a mission and with Jim Harbaugh back on the sidelines, the Wolverines win this one.

Prediction: Michigan 34, Iowa 10