The Michigan State Spartans (2-2) will try to overcome some distractions when they face the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1) in a Big Ten battle on Saturday night. Michigan State fired head coach Mel Tucker for cause earlier this week, leaving secondary coach Harlon Barnett as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. The Spartans won their first two games before suffering back-to-back blowout losses against No. 8 Washington and Maryland. Iowa is coming off its first loss of the season, getting shut out by No. 7 Penn State in a 31-0 final.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are favored by 12 points in the latest Iowa vs. Michigan State odds, while the over/under is 36.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Michigan State vs. Iowa picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of nearly $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Iowa vs. Michigan State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Michigan State vs. Iowa:
- Iowa vs. Michigan State spread: Iowa -12
- Iowa vs. Michigan State over/under: 36.5 points
- Iowa vs. Michigan State money line: Iowa: -457, Michigan State: +346
- Iowa vs. Michigan State picks: See picks here
- Iowa vs. Michigan State live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Iowa can cover
Iowa opened the season with three straight wins, covering the spread in victories against Iowa State and Western Michigan. The Hawkeyes are coming off a loss at Penn State, but they are facing a much weaker opponent on Saturday. Michigan State is not only playing under an interim coach, but it is also coming off back-to-back blowout losses.
The Spartans committed five turnovers in a loss to Maryland, throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles. The Hawkeyes' defense is led by Jay Higgins, who recorded the most tackles by an Iowa player in a single game in two years when he had 18 against Penn State. Iowa cruised to a 49-7 win over Michigan State in the most recent meeting between these teams, which came in 2020.
Why Michigan State can cover
Iowa's performance against Penn State was abysmal, as the Hawkeyes were outgained 397-76 in total yards. They ran just 33 plays from scrimmage to Penn State's 97, going nearly three quarters of playing time between first downs. Iowa has been struggling offensively for several years, making it difficult to trust the Hawkeyes to cover a double-digit spread.
Michigan State scored a combined 76 points in blowout wins over Central Michigan and Richmond, and the Spartans are rested after playing four straight home games to open the season. Sophomore running back Nate Carter has rushed for 369 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Iowa has only covered the spread once in its last five games against Big Ten East opponents. See which team to pick here.
How to make Iowa vs. Michigan State picks
The model has simulated Michigan State vs. Iowa 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Iowa vs. Michigan State, and which side of the spread hits over 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Michigan State vs. Iowa spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up nearly $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
