The revamped Big Ten is pretty loaded entering 2024. The defending champs in Michigan are projected to finish fourth in their conference, with Ohio State and Penn State both favored to make the College Football Playoff — not to mention inserting another contender in Oregon into the mix. While Iowa may not wind up playing for the National Championship, the Hawkeyes still seem to be in position to have a pretty solid season. Here’s how I’m betting them on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Iowa Hawkeyes OVER 7.5 Wins (-150) — 2-units
I was on the over for the Hawkeyes last season, and despite a historically poor offense, elite play on defense and special teams propelled the Hawkeyes to a 10-2 regular season. Iowa found itself in the Big Ten Championship Game, although it not only got shutout in that game against Michigan, but also in the Citrus Bowl against Tennessee.
The Hawkeyes have a lot working for them this season, most notably being their schedule. Divisions have been abandon in the new Big Ten, and powerhouse schools have been added, yet Iowa’s schedule remains quite manageable. We can almost certainly chalk up a loss for the Hawkeyes when they travel to Ohio State on October 5 (Iowa is a 24-point dog on the DraftKings Sportsbook lookahead line, but has 82% of the handle as of July 22) but they avoid Oregon, Penn State and Michigan on the schedule. Wisconsin, Iowa State, Nebraska and Washington are also all home games for Iowa this season. I’m sure there will be a couple of slip-ups along the way, but Iowa has 11 games it can win on the schedule.
One of the more amazing things about last year’s team is that the Hawkeyes were able to win 10 games while being forced to go to their backup quarterback so early in the season. Former Wolverine Cade McNamara went down early, but will return at QB this season. He highlights the 10 returning starters on offense, while the elite defense also returns eight.
This should be a very strong Iowa team with the potential to get to another level offensively. That’d be huge for their outlook, as the defense should remain lights out. Over money has been pouring in thus far on DraftKings Sportsbook, with 97% of the bets for 99% of the handle (as of July 22). I’m expecting 9-10 wins for the Hawkeyes in 2024, and certainly believe this number will close at higher than the juiced 7.5 where it sits.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.
