No. 14 Iowa (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) heads to Minneapolis to battle Minnesota (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale.
The Hawkeyes lead the series 46-43-2 with Floyd of Rosedale at stake, and Iowa has won 20 of the past 25 meetings. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz owns a 20-7 mark against the Golden Gophers as the Hawkeyes' head coach. Minnesota is the only school that Ferentz has squared off against every season during his Hawkeye tenure as both an assistant coach (1981-89) and head coach (1999-present).
For Iowa, the Hawkeyes can take another step forward toward its first-ever College Football Playoff berth with a win.
As kickoff nears, here's a look at the latest betting odds. Plus, our best bet and a prediction:
Iowa vs. Minnesota betting odds, best bet, prediction
Iowa has owned this series
under Kirk Ferentz, winning 10 of the past 11. The lone game the Hawkeyes didn't win during that span came with plenty of controversy. Iowa has played well in Minneapolis, winning five straight there dating back to 2016.
A lot of the numbers say to pick Iowa as well. Minnesota really struggles to run the ball, ranking 131st nationally in rushing offense (104.8 rushing yards per game). That's not a great starting recipe against a Phil Parker-led defense that ranks No. 7 nationally in rushing defense (84.7 rushing yards allowed per game) and No. 9 in scoring defense (14.5 points allowed per game).
Meanwhile, Iowa appeared to take a major step forward with its run game the last time we saw the Hawkeyes. Kamari Moulton ran for a career-high 208 yards in the 41-24 win at Washington.
Iowa also turned to third-year quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski in the win over the Huskies. Hecklinski completed 14 of 19 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns against Washington, and he adds a more explosive dimension to the passing offense for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa's the better football team. Our best bet: Take the Hawkeyes to win by multiple scores and give the points.
Prediction: Iowa 31, Minnesota 17
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa Hawkeyes football vs. Minnesota: Betting odds, best bet, prediction
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