The Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) will host the No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) on Saturday, October 31, at noon ET at Kinnick Stadium in the 100th meeting between the programs, with the Heartland Trophy on the line.
Wisconsin enters the game after a 24-7 victory over No. 16 USC, where the Badgers' defense held the Trojans to negative rushing yardage, recorded five sacks, and intercepted two passes. Quarterback Colton Joseph completed 12 of 14 attempts with a touchdown pass to Chris Brooks Jr., while running back Abu Sama III rushed for 71 yards. Wisconsin's offense managed only 200 total yards, relying heavily on its defense.
Iowa, meanwhile, suffered a 13-10 loss at Minnesota on a last-second field goal after tying the game with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Hank Brown to Reece Vander Zee with 3:46 remaining. Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski split quarterback duties, combining for 198 passing yards and three interceptions. The Hawkeyes outgained Minnesota 288-209 but committed four turnovers. Iowa's defense recorded 10 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Betting Odds
Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 36.5 points. The money line lists Wisconsin at +114 and Iowa at -135.
Prediction
Despite Wisconsin not having beaten Iowa since 2021, the Badgers' defensive performance against USC suggests they can handle a difficult road assignment, having also won at Penn State earlier in the season. Iowa's offense has struggled with turnovers, which could provide Wisconsin with short fields. SportsLine projects a 25-24 Wisconsin victory, aligning with the moneyline selection of Wisconsin to win outright at +114.
