The Iowa Hawkeyes finished the regular season undefeated with a 12-0 straight up record and a 7-5 against the spread record. Now the Hawkeyes hope to prove their doubters wrong once again with an upset win in the Big Ten Championship Game against the Michigan State Spartans.
Iowa vs. Michigan State odds, 2015 Big Ten Championship: Hawkeyes betting underdogs vs. Spartans
The Iowa Hawkeyes and Michigan State Spartans fight for the Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff spot in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game.
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa is a 3.5-point underdog for the game at Lucas Oil Stadium, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Hawkeyes are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as the betting underdog but just 3-7 SU over that stretch.
While all of the drama and intrigue in the Big Ten conference swirled around Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State, the Hawkeyes just kept going about their business and winning football games. By season’s end, the Hawkeyes have positioned themselves as a potential College Football Playoff team thanks to their 12-0 SU record.
There aren’t really any signature wins on Iowa’s soft schedule, but the team survived the entire regular season including road trips to Wisconsin, Northwestern and Nebraska.
Now the Hawkeyes have a chance to prove they belong among the nation’s elite with a win in the Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa is 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS in its last eight games against Michigan State, per the OddsShark College Football Database.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans
When: Saturday, Dec. 5, 8:17 p.m. ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Betting Line / Total: Michigan State -3.5 / 52.5 Points
Michigan State seemed to be sleepwalking through the first half of its season, winning its first six games but going 0-6 ATS in the process and rarely putting together a full 60-minute effort.
That all changed when the Spartans pulled off a miraculous last-minute win over the Michigan Wolverines, sparking a 5-1 SU and ATS finish to the season that included a road upset of Ohio State as a 14.5-point underdog two weeks ago. Since losing to Nebraska, the Spartans are 3-0 SU and ATS and have allowed only 12.3 points per game.
Saturday’s total is set at 52.5 points. The UNDER is 4-2 in the last six games between the Spartans and the Hawkeyes.
Iowa hasn’t been tested against a team as well-coached and battle-tested as the Spartans this season. It should be a good game, but in the end look for the Spartans to come away with the win and a cover as 3.5-point favorites.
