The black and gold is back.
Iowa welcomes in Northern Illinois to Kinnick Stadium for the Hawkeyes' 2026 season opener on Saturday. Led by Kirk Ferentz in his 28th season at the helm, Iowa looks to build off a 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten) campaign from a season ago.
There's plenty of fresh faces that the Hawkeyes will be relying upon, such as receivers Tony Diaz and Evan James and running back L.J. Phillips Jr. As its opener arrives, Iowa is still sorting out its quarterback battle.
Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown have been battling throughout the offseason. Ferentz said it's still too close to call. Each quarterback is expected to get a similar number of series and snaps in the opener.
Northern Illinois enters 2026 after a 3-9 (2-6 MAC) record last season.
As the season opener arrives, here's a look at the latest odds. Plus, a prediction and best bet.
Iowa vs. Northern Illinois betting odds, prediction, best bet
Northern Illinois was one of the nation's worst offenses a season ago, ranking 130th in total offense and 132nd in passing offense. That's a tough combination against a Phil Parker defense that will focus first on stopping the run and forcing NIU into obvious passing situations.
Even as Iowa breaks in new faces defensively, the Hawkeyes should be foaming at the mouth to face Northern Illinois. Iowa would love to begin the season with their defense taking the football away multiple times. And the Hawkeyes might do just that.
Really, the only concern is whether or not Iowa can score enough points. A 31.5-point spread is a large margin to cover. With Iowa still undecided on its starting quarterback, that could create some first-game jitters and also make it difficult for the Hawkeyes' offense to sustain a rhythm.
Iowa should still find plenty of success on the ground with Kamari Moulton and running behind two of the nation's best linemen in Trevor Lauck and Kade Pieper. Hawkeye tight end DJ Vonnahme is sure to remind fans why he's so special in the opener, too.
There's just some minor trepidation on how long it takes for Iowa's offense to get things rolling. Plus, NIU is probably going to pop a play or two offensively, just given that it's the opener and the Hawkeyes are figuring out some new defensive personnel.
Hawkeyes do win going away, but take NIU and the points.
Prediction: Iowa 34, Northern Illinois 13
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football vs. Northern Illinois betting odds, prediction, best bet
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