There\u2019s\na seemingly more important Top 25 showdown in the Big Ten this week\nas No. 4 Penn State takes on No. 17 Minnesota in a battle of\nundefeateds. However, the contest between No. 18 Iowa and No. 13\nWisconsin has plenty of meaning in Big Ten West standings \u2013\nespecially if Minnesota loses. Who is the best bet in this spot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nHawkeyes will bank on the simple reality that Wisconsin has played\nbad football in its past two games. Wisconsin lost to Illinois thanks\nto untimely turnovers, lapses in the secondary, a short missed field\ngoal, and a late interception thrown by UW quarterback Jack Coan. All\nfacets of the team broke down, causing Wisconsin to blow a 20-7\nthird-quarter lead and a 23-14 fourth-quarter lead. Then Wisconsin\nscored just seven points in a lopsided loss to Ohio State. The\nBadgers struggled to convert third downs \u2013 only 4 of 13 \u2013 and\nthey kept handing the ball back over and over to Ohio State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wisconsin\ndid shut out three separate opponents at home this season and four\noverall, but none of those teams \u2013 Kent State, Michigan State,\nCentral Michigan at home, South Florida on the road \u2013 are any good.\nIowa hasn\u2019t won the biggest games on its schedule, but it has\nplayed those big games very close, losing by only seven points to\nMichigan and only five to Penn State. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This\nis really a matchup of which team will be able to stop the run, which\noffense will be able to convert third downs and which team will be\nable to avoid mistakes. Iowa is ranked No. 8 in run defense, 27th<\/sup>\nin giveaways but is 39th<\/sup>\nin third-down conversion percentage. They\u2019ve been much worse of\nlate, converting just 35.4% over their last three contests. If they\ncan bump that number up, they\u2019ll have a shot here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nBadgers\u2019 two-game losing streak occurred on the road; Wisconsin\nremains perfect at home this season and its defense has not allowed\nmore than 15 points in any home game this year. For the most part,\nthis is a matchup of two teams who mirror each other but Wisconsin\ndoes everything better and that home-field advantage should be a\nfactor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\nmentioned the shaky third-down conversions for Wisconsin the last\ncouple of weeks but this team is eighth in the country in this\ncategory. Normally, they excel here and convert a very healthy 52.9%\nat home. They\u2019ll just keep chipping away at the Iowa defense,\nhammering away with running back Jonathan Taylor, and eventually\nthey\u2019ll break through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both teams are off a bye but the Badgers needed it more. If they didn\u2019t have it, Iowa would probably be catching them at a good time. Instead, Wisconsin has had a chance to regroup. Iowa quarterback Nathan Stanley has really struggled away from home, completing 8.9% less of his passes (than at home) with just one touchdown and three interceptions. Wisconsin should rough him up here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\noffenses simply do not deserve to be trusted in this game. It would\nbe foolish to bank on either offense exploding for 28 or more points\nas both units are going to grind it out on the ground, try to control\nthe ball and play good defense. Add in the fact that it\u2019s been cold\nin Wisconsin this week \u2013 it even snowed \u2013 and this should be an\nugly, low-scoring game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get the latest college football odds and information–follow BetOnline.ag on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nWHY THE BADGERS WILL COVER THE SPREAD<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
TAKING A LOOK AT THE TOTAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PICK: WISCONSIN BADGERS 20, IOWA HAWKEYES 13<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n