Can the Rutgers Scarlet Knights finally turn a good start into a good season? Well, a win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night would go a long way to making that a reality.
Rutgers enters this sneaky good Big Ten matchup 3-0 following a relatively light non-conference schedule, while Iowa is 2-1. The Hawkeyes have taken care of business as big favorites, but struggled in a loss to rival Iowa State.
My early Iowa vs. Rutgers predictions explain why this should be a hard-hitting affair and have some leans for college football picks later in the week.
Iowa vs Rutgers predictions
Here are our early thoughts on the spread and total for this week’s game. We will have a full game preview (with a best bet and SGP) later in the week.
Early Iowa vs Rutgers spread pick: Iowa -2.5
This is a really intriguing Big Ten opener for both of these teams.
Iowa has notched wins over FCS Albany and UMass. Both were as nearly five-touchdown favorites. The one loss came to rival Iowa State, where, despite having a chance to win, the offense really struggled. But more on that later.
Rutgers, meanwhile, is 3-0 for the third-straight season but has finished 7-6 both other years. The Scarlet Knights have also had a mostly soft schedule.
Their toughest matchup was in the season opener against an Ohio Bobcats team that now appears better, after the Bobcats beat West Virginia and gave Ohio State three tough quarters.
The problem for the Scarlet Knights against the Bobcats was the run game. Ohio, with its dual-threat QB Parker Navarro, rumbled for 201 yards. That’s what the Hawkeyes technically have in Mark Gronowski, even if he’s gotten off to a slow start to the season.
But once again, the strength of this Iowa team is still its defense. The Hawkeyes rank 30th in defensive success rate and are fourth in opponent yards per play.
While the Rutgers offense has been rolling, particularly through the air, it hasn’t come across anything like this Iowa team that controls the clock and plays excellent defense. At less than a field goal, Iowa looks like the right side in this Big Ten battle.
Early Iowa vs Rutgers total pick: Under 45.5
Yes, it appears to be same-old, same-old for the Iowa Hawkeyes. An excellent defense with an offense that doesn’t carry its weight.
That was supposed to change this season with transfer QB Mark Gronowski. The senior signal caller came off unrivaled success at FCS South Dakota State, which included two national championships in 2022 and 2023.
But his transition to the FBS has been a little rough. He’s thrown for just 306 yards while completing 58.7% of his passes at an ugly 4.9 yards per attempt over his first three games with the Hawkeyes. He’s also rushed for just 88 yards at 2.7 yards per carry.
With the Jackrabbits, he averaged 8.7 yards per attempt and rushed for over 1,700 yards over four seasons.
I’m betting the Hawkeyes try to get him going on the ground against a Rutgers defense that is allowing 5.6 yards per carry to opponents.
Iowa gets back to running the football, controlling the clock, and playing stout defense. That has classic Hawkeyes under written all over it.
Iowa vs Rutgers odds
- Iowa vs. Rutgers spread: Rutgers +2.5
- Iowa vs. Rutgers moneyline: Iowa -146, Rutgers +122
- Iowa vs. Rutgers Over/Under: 45.5
How to watch Iowa vs Rutgers
- Iowa vs. Rutgers matchup
- Date: Friday, September 19, 2025, 8:00 p.m. ET
- City: Piscataway, NJ
- Venue: SHI Stadium
- TV: FOX
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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