Penn State vs Iowa Odds, Spread, and Totals
The Penn State Nittany Lions will look to get their season back on track when they travel to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite being a preseason darling, Penn State…
The Penn State Nittany Lions will look to get their season back on track when they travel to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite being a preseason darling, Penn State is in the middle of a nightmarish stretch, losing starting quarterback Drew Allar to a season-ending injury, dropping three straight contests, and firing former head coach James Franklin. A meeting with a well-coached, disciplined Iowa team that will not beat itself is the opposite of what the Nittany Lions need at the moment.
Suffering three losses when fans expected a nearly perfect season is bad enough, but the fashion of those losses makes things even worse for Penn State. A double overtime defeat at the hands of the Oregon Ducks is acceptable, but dropping contests against UCLA and Northwestern, two of the worst teams in the country, had to lead to Franklin's firing. Now, with Allar out, every game feels like a potential loss, especially with the instability on the sidelines.
The Hawkeyes are anything but unstable. Head coach Kirk Ferentz has held the reins for 27 seasons, and the product he puts on the field remains almost entirely the same: a good defense, excellent special teams, and an unimpressive offense. That could be enough to beat Penn State, especially with the Iowa faithful cheering on their team.
Spread
- Penn State +2.5 (+108)
- Iowa -2.5 (-122)
Money line
- Penn State +133
- Iowa -144
Totals
- Over 40.5 (-104)
- Under 40.5 (-113)
Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 17, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Penn State vs Iowa Betting Trends
- Penn State is 0-6 ATS this year.
- The over is 4-2 in Penn State's games.
- Iowa is 4-1-1 ATS this season.
- Iowa is 2-1 ATS when playing at home.
- The under is 3-2-1 in the Hawkeyes' games this season.
Penn State vs Iowa Injury Reports
Penn State Nittany Lions
- Drew Allar, QB - Out.
- Cooper Cousins, G - Questionable.
- Jaxon Smolik, QB - Questionable.
- Cam Wallace, RB - Questionable.
- Tony Rojas, LB - Out.
Iowa Hawkeyes
- No injuries of note.
Penn State vs Iowa Prediction and Pick
Chris King of Winners and Whiners writes, "Penn State is slumping badly with three straight losses, including ones to teams they were favored by 25 (UCLA) and 21 (Northwestern) points against. The Nittany Lions fired their coach in Franklin and lost their starting quarterback for the year as well. Grunkemeyer has limited experience when it comes to playing at this level and has to deal with a Hawkeyes defense that gives up just 167.7 yards per game through the air and 79 yards per contest (2.6 yards per carry) on the ground this season. Iowa is tough at home and they stand 4-1-1 ATS this season while Penn State is 0-6 ATS. Take the Hawkeyes here as they prevail in a rock fight."
Taking the Hawkeyes is the correct play. Penn State is absolutely reeling from three straight losses and the bevy of losses they have suffered on the field and off it. Iowa's consistency will show as they win and cover.
