Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2 SU, 6-3 ATS) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4 SU, 5-6 ATS)
College Football Week 13
Date/Time:Friday, November 25, 2016 3:30 PM EDT
Where: Kinnick Stadium – Iowa City, Iowa
TV: Big Ten Network
by KEITH, NCAA Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: NEB +3/IOWA -3
Over/Under Total: OFF
The Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4) will take on the hosting annual duties for the renewal of an annual rivalry game with fellow Big Ten constituent Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. For both Nebraska and Iowa there are many implications on the line. The game is set to take place on Friday, November 25th or as we know it Black Friday. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with a scheduled kick-off of 3:30 PM ET. The last meeting between both teams was in 2015 which resulted in a 28-20 Hawkeyes victory at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.
This rivalry is every essence of the word. The pooch has been 3-1 against the spread in the previous four matches and the away team has won last four contests in this rivalry. Expect the unexpected that is a safe mantra that could be used to describe this feud between two Midwestern powers. Regardless of Nebraskas mark, they are just 2-2 on the road this year while the Hawkeyes now sit at 3-3 at home in Kinnick Stadium.
The Cornhuskers have now won their last two overall after being smoked by Ohio State 62-3, three weeks ago in Columbus. The Huskers have certainly had some close calls this year in terms of losses and many can argue that the Cornhuskers are a farce of 9-2 team. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Nebraska has an outside chance of winning the Big Ten West if they win and get a little help from their friends. If were Minnesota were to come out on top against Wisconsin in the Battle of Paul Bunyans Axe, Nebraska would clinch the division with a win and face either Penn State, Michigan or Ohio State yet again in the Big Ten Championship.
The Hawkeyes come in rolling at 7-4, as seemingly the home win over the Wolverines has not procured any form of complacency or resting upon laurels with the Black and Yellow. The Hawkeyes have now ascended to 3-3 at home this season after they creamed the Fighting Illini of Illinois 28-0 at home, last Saturday in a shutout victory. While Iowa will not be playing for the conference hardware this year, they will still have a say in who represents the division with Saturdays contest on the way.
From the numbers so far, it seems that early action on the Hawkeyes have raised the amount of points spotted to Nebraska. The Huskers can now take back half of a point more as a road dog. Given the records of both teams, this may be a deceptively tasty play. However, we have reasons to believe otherwise. The Hawkeyes may in fact be the target of sharps moving in on what may be perceived as a value play on the home favorite as opposed to playing on the Cornhuskers against the spread as a road dog which in itself may seem too good to be true given the ranking of both outfits. Why are they moving so quickly? Home field advantage is the likely answer. Nebraska has suffered both their defeats on the road and then of course there was the Michigan victory in Iowa City. Previous to their two game road skid, the Cornhuskers managed to slither by Indiana by a score of 27-22, reflecting a team that can find itself in a pickle when it doesnt have home cooking. It is safe to assume that no concessions will be made here to the Cornhuskers. Iowas Kinnick Stadium is one of the most hostile places to play in the country. Even an undefeated and heavily favored Michigan Wolverines team could not escape Iowa City. The environment will be raucous and the Hawkeyes will enter this match-up care-free seeking a rivalry win that is simply for bragging rights. On the contrary, the Huskers may enter this game skittish with what may potentially up for grabs. As a result, this opens the door for us to snag Iowa at a great price as the market assessment of this team is low at the current moment even with some impressive wins to their credit.
KEITHs Pick to Cover the Point Spread: IOWA -3
Bet your pick at a quality sportsbook that offers new clients up to $250 FREE and best of all you can get all set up in minutes using your credit card >>> Bovada.