NIU Huskies vs Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction, 9/5/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: NIU Huskies vs Iowa Hawkeyes

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026

Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IA

TV: BTN

Odds/Point Spread: Hawkeyes (-31.5)

Total/Over-Under: 45.5

The NIU Huskies (3-9 last season) are on their way to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026 where they will try to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-4 last year). Iowa is 31.5-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The total is 45.5.

The NIU Huskies wrapped up their season holding a 3-9 record. The last time they took the field, the Huskies went up against the Kent State Golden Flashes and took a loss by a final of 35-31. When the final whistle blew, they ran 68 plays which totaled 334 yards. The NIU Huskies ended up running the ball 58 different times and accounted for 307 yards, which earned them an average of 5.3 yds per attempt. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Huskies gave up 231 yds on 36 tries, which averages out to 6.4 yds per rush surrendered. NIU gave up 11 pass completions on 22 tries for a total of 207 yds, and a completion percentage of 50.0%.

The Huskies earned 3,431 yards in total over the course of last season. NIU earned 8 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing touchdowns. They surrendered the football 11 different times. NIU accumulated 181 1st downs as a unit, and they were called for 52 infractions for 456 yards. As a team they held an average of 187.1 yds via the ground game, which ranked them 29th in college football. When talking about putting points on the board, the NIU Huskies had an average of 17.1 PPG.

The Huskies sat in 64th in Division 1 regarding the opposition scoring, conceding 24.3 PPG. The opposition ran for 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and 183.3 rushing yards per contest last season. Overall, they allowed 2,200 yards via the ground game in 12 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Huskies gave up 2,087 yards which ranked them 5th in D-1. During their 12 games played, they yielded 173.9 yards per contest through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 59.5%. They allowed 357.3 yards per outing which had them sitting 56th in college football. They conceded 11 throwing touchdowns in addition to 22 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Hawkeyes finished the season holding a 9-4 record. When they last played, the Hawkeyes went home victorious with a score of 34-27 when they played the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Hawkeyes ended up finishing with 379 yds while they ran 59 plays (6.4 yds per play). Iowa ran the ball for 4.5 yards per tote, finishing with 167 yards on 37 carries. Iowa surrendered 22 running attempts for 51 yds (2.3 yards per rush). The Hawkeyes pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 65.8%, surrendering 347 yds on 25 out of 38 through the air.

When looking at the points being put on the board, the Hawkeyes earned a ranking of 54th in the nation by scoring 29.3 points per game. The Iowa Hawkeyes averaged 320.1 yards/game, which was good for 119th in D-1. The Iowa offense accrued 391 yds of penalties on 39 infractions, which ranked them 135th in college football in terms of helping out the opposition. They threw 8 picks while surrendering 5 fumbles and they earned 228 1st downs. Last season, the Hawkeyes compiled 1,862 passing yards as well as averaging 143.2 passing yards per game, which was ranked 129th in the country. They held an average of 176.9 run yards per game and ran for 2,300 yards for the year.

Iowa surrendered a total of 1,400 yards on the ground (107.7 yards per outing) as well as 12 touchdowns via the rush last season. They surrendered 9 touchdowns from the passing game and 172.7 yards/outing, which had them in 10th in Division 1. Last year, they allowed 209 points in total. Their defense compiled 3 fumbles and 10 interceptions last year. The Hawkeyes defense was on the field for 777 plays, which was good for 13th in college football. The Hawkeyes relinquished 16.1 points per contest, which had them sitting 8th in the nation.

Who will win tonight's Huskies/Hawkeyes college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Hawkeyes -31.5

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