The Iowa Hawkeyes travel to New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Friday night. This is a look at the best player prop to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Big Ten battle.
Iowa vs. Rutgers Prop Bets
Iowa and Rutgers both begin their Big Ten campaigns on Friday night. Rutgers hosts Iowa after going 3-0 through its relatively easy non-conference schedule. Rutgers has now made a bowl game each of the past two seasons under Greg Schiano, and the Scarlet Knights are hoping to keep the momentum going this season, already halfway to bowl eligibility. Iowa has struggled through the early part of the season, lacking any offensive explosiveness once again. The Iowa offense has been among the worst in college football over the past few seasons, and the addition of Mark Gronowski at quarterback has not made much difference. Iowa has already suffered one loss this season, which came against Iowa State, and is hoping to keep its season on track by getting a win against Rutgers.
Athan Kaliakmanis 220+ Passing Yards (-107)
My favorite prop bet for the game between Iowa and Rutgers is for Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to throw for at least 220 passing yards. Kaliakmanis transferred from Minnesota to Rutgers prior to the 2024 season and has been a great addition for the Scarlet Knights. He has been the best Rutgers quarterback of the past decade, giving the Scarlet Knights an explosive passing game they haven’t seen in a long time. Kaliakmanis has thrown for at least 250 passing yards in all three games this season, and while Iowa will be the best defense he has faced thus far, he should have another good game. Iowa has a good defense, but it is not as elite as it has been in past years. The Hawkeyes rank 32nd in the nation in defensive EPA/pass, while the Rutgers offense ranks 15th in EPA/pass.
Kaliakmanis is incredibly experienced in Big Ten play at this point in his career. He will be comfortable against any defense and should be efficient at home in this game. Rutgers has a trio of receivers in KJ Duff, Ian Strong and DT Sheffield who all have at least 10 catches, 200 yards and two touchdowns this season. The different receiving options make them even harder to defend, as the secondary can’t focus on anyone in particular. This is a huge game for Rutgers, and the team should lean on their experienced quarterback to get them the win.
