Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers Picks and Prediction, Saturday, October 11th, 2025
Use Code WWWC In this Iowa at Wisconsin prediction, the two Big Ten Conference rivals will square off at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes enter this matchup with a record of 3-2 overall, while the Badgers stand at 2-3. The opening kick is scheduled for 7:00 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
Iowa hopes to get back on track
The Iowa Hawkeyes fell to 3-2 on the season following a 20-15 defeat to undefeated and 11th-ranked Indiana last Saturday. The loss was particularly painful with the Hawkeyes' starting quarterback, Mark Gronowski, exiting the game with an injury and the score knotted at 10. He is listed as questionable for this week’s game, a critical one on the road against Wisconsin.
“Big thing right now, sitting here with a 3-2 record, we have two one-score losses, and we have seven games to go. The thing I shared with the players in the locker room that there is a lot of football ahead. Not as much as we had a couple weeks ago, obviously, but a lot of football left.” Head coach Kirk Ferentz said after his team’s hard-fought loss.
Gronowski, before leaving with an injury, went 19-of-25 for 144 yards. He also threw an interception in the game. He also added a rushing touchdown in the game. His replacement, Hank Brown, went 5-of-13 for 48 yards and threw a pick. Running back Kamari Moulton finished the game with 75 yards on 18 carries. Sam Phillips led the pass catchers with five catches for 64 yards. In all, the Hawkeyes finished with 284 yards of total offense but were held to just five points in the fourth quarter to take the loss.
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The Hawkeyes’ usually stout defense did contain the potent Indiana offense. They held them to just 10 points at the half, including a shutout in the second quarter. Koen Entringer led Iowa with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Zach Lutmer had seven tackles in the game and added an interception. Deshaun Lee also had seven tackles in the contest. The Hawkeyes held the nation’s third-highest scoring offense to just 20 points and 337 yards of total offense.
Iowa comes into this game ranked 56th in the country in scoring offense. The Hawkeyes are 79th in rushing and 113th in the country in passing. They are ranked 53rd in red zone offense and are 75th in the nation in sacks allowed. Defensively, the team is ranked 23rd in points allowed per game. The Hawkeyes are fifth against the run and 42nd against the pass. In the red zone, the Iowa defense ranks 14th in the nation. The team is 31st in sacks and has shown plenty of discipline, ranked 3rd in penalty yards per game. The Hawkeyes are 41st in turnover margin and 41st in time of possession.
Key Injuries: WR Seth Anderson, WR Jarriett Blue, QB Mark Gronowski, RB Jaziun Patterson, WR Reece Vande Zee, and RB Xavier Williams are all questionable.
Wisconsin looking to even up its record
The Wisconsin Badgers fell to 2-3 on the season following last Saturday’s 24-14 loss to Michigan at the Big House in Ann Arbor. The Badgers jumped out to a 7-0 lead but were outscored 24-3 the rest of the way. They’ll need to regroup this week at home and take back the Heartland Trophy as part of this long-time rivalry with the Hawkeyes.
“We’re not here to sugarcoat anything,” Head coach Luke Fickell said after the loss. “There is obviously always some good, but their ability to sustain and finish is still where we are not anywhere close to where we need to be.
Badgers’ quarterback Bryce Underwood finished the game 18-of-29 for 177 yards. He also threw one interception. Running back Dilin Jones provided the only touchdown for the Badgers and finished with 65 yards on 17 carries. Vinny Anthony II led the team with nine catches for 97 yards. In all, Wisconsin finished the game just 4-of-14 on third down conversions and had 252 yards of total offense, including just 75 yards on the ground.
On the defensive end, the Badgers gave up nearly twice as many yards as they produced. The Wolverines finished with 445 yards of total offense, including 175 yards on the ground. Matt Jung led the Badgers with nine tackles in the game. Teammate Christian Alliegro had seven tackles. Wisconsin had just one sack in the game and did not create any turnovers.
Wisconsin is 107th in the country in points per game this season. They are 125th in the nation in rushing and 90th through the air. They are 76th in the country in red zone offense. The Badgers’ offensive line has struggled, ranked just 111th in sacks allowed this season. On the defensive end, the Badgers are 28th in the country in scoring defense. They are 15th against the run and 78th against the pass. Wisconsin ranks 62nd in red zone defense. The tea is 51st in sacks per game. They have played disciplined football, ranking 13th in penalty yards per game. They are eighth in turnover margin and eighth in time of possession.
Key Injuries: TE Tucker Ashcraft, QB Billy Edwards Jr., and QB Danny O’Neill are questionable.
Iowa at Wisconsin
Point Spread pick for Iowa vs. Wisconsin
- Wisconsin +4.5 (4 units)
Wisconsin has had this game penciled on its schedule since last year’s 41-10 loss to Iowa on the road. They should have the advantage of playing a likely hobbled QB Gronowski, as he recovers from a left knee injury. The Badgers also have the type of defense that can force the Hawkeyes into being a passing team, ranked 15th in the country in stopping the run. The Badgers can keep this game close thanks to their ability to limit penalties, 3rd in the country in fewest penalties, and protect the football, ranked 8th in turnover margin. As of this writing, Gronowski hasn’t been officially named the starter on Saturday. If he is unable to go, the pendulum shifts heavily to the Badgers. Even if he can play, the Badgers will be motivated to make up for last year’s one-sided loss to the Hawkeyes.
Take Wisconsin +3.5
Over/Under Pick for Iowa vs. Wisconsin
- Under 35.5 (4 units)
This should be one of the lower-scoring games of the week on Saturday. The Badgers come in ranked just 107th in the nation in points per game. They have stayed in games thanks to a defense that is ranked 28th in points allowed this season. The Hawkeyes come into this game ranked 56th in scoring, but will either be playing with a banged-up starting quarterback or his replacement. Iowa can also defend at a high level, ranked 23rd in the country in points allowed. Expect a good old-fashioned Big Ten heavyweight battle on Saturday.
Take the under.
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