Week 10 of the 2022 NCAA college football season includes a solid slate of Big Ten tilts, including a 12 p.m. ET showdown between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Purdue Boilermakers. Iowa looks to continue its momentum after snapping a three-game skid last week, whereas Purdue hopes to get back on track after its four-game winning streak ended two weeks ago.
Can Iowa build on its momentum with the school's first road win in over a month? Or will Purdue stay steady at home by winning its third straight meeting with the Hawkeyes?
Iowa vs Purdue Odds
According to FanDuel Sportsbook's'college football odds, Purdue is a slight -178 favorite on the moneyline (3.5-point spread) in a game with a 39.5-point over/under.
What should college football fans expect in this matchup, and where can bettors find value?
Iowa vs Purdue Prediction and Best Bet
Though Iowa has had moments of success this season, offense has been tough to come by. The Hawkeyes have relied on defense to win games, scoring the 16th-fewest points (17.7 PPG) in the nation. In other words, it's going to be tough to maintain pace with Purdue, which has scored an average of 32.7 points over the last three games.
Purdue's defense might not be perfect (29.1 PPG, No. 78), but the unit shouldn't be tested too much this weekend. Aside from home-field advantage being on the Boilermakers' side, the Hawkeyes are a bottom-20 team when it comes to both the pass and the run.
Nevertheless, Iowa's defense is strong – top 10 in both points and total yards allowed – and should give Purdue a challenge. Having said that, the Boilermakers will still be in control for most of the game and once they get a decent lead, the Hawkeyes won't have the offensive tools to battle back.
In addition to backing the favorite to win, I'm taking Purdue to cover the 3.5-point spread. The Boilermakers are 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games against the Hawkeyes, picking up three wins by four-plus points in that span.
Even with Iowa having one of the better defenses, I'm still backing the total hitting over 39.5 points. Only one of Iowa's last four games has fallen below that total and Purdue has a strong enough offense to do most of the heavy lifti ng to reach the over.