Iowa vs. Northern Illinois Prediction, Odds, Pick For College Football Week 1

By FOX Sports Research
Published

The No. 22 Iowa Hawkeyes will host the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday in a Week 1 college football matchup on Big Ten Network.

Kirk Ferentz enters his 28th season as Iowa's head coach looking to add to his 209 career wins, the most by a head coach in Big Ten history. The No. 22 Hawkeyes will open their season at home against a Northern Illinois team beginning its first year in the Mountain West Conference.

Ferentz has yet to name a starting quarterback, with Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski still competing for the job. Both quarterbacks are expected to play in the season opener, giving Ferentz and the Hawkeyes an opportunity to evaluate the two options in game action.

Northern Illinois, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after a 3-9 season in 2025. The Huskies enter their first year in the Mountain West with interim head coach Rob Harley leading a significantly revamped roster. With no returning starters on defense and only four on offense, Harley will bring an inexperienced group into Kinnick Stadium for the season opener.

Let’s take a look at the odds for Iowa vs. NIU at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sept. 5.

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   NIU @ No. 22 Iowa Odds

Moneyline

  • Iowa: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.01 total)
  • Northern Illinois: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Spread 

  • Iowa -31.5: -105 (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)
  • Northern Illinois +31.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total)

Over/Under

  • Over 44.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
  • Under 44.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
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   NIU @ No. 22 Iowa Prediction, Pick

From FOX Sports Research:

Iowa has built a reputation for boring, low-scoring, physical football, and with two new quarterbacks in the mix, don't expect that to change in Week 1. Ferentz likely won't put too much on their plate and will instead lean heavily on the running game. Leading rusher Kamari Moulton returns after rushing for 878 yards last season, and the Hawkeyes added L.J. Phillips Jr. through the transfer portal. Phillips rushed for 1,921 yards and 19 touchdowns at South Dakota last season. Pair him with Moulton and Iowa's offensive line, and the Hawkeyes should have a strong ground game. That's not a great matchup for Northern Illinois. The Huskies allowed 183.3 rushing yards per game last season, the fourth-most in the MAC. Even with uncertainty at quarterback, Iowa shouldn't have much trouble moving the ball on the ground and finding the end zone. Expect the Hawkeyes to control this game from start to finish. Take Iowa to cover the spread in this Week 1 matchup.

   The Pick: Iowa -31.5

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