by Rod Pearson
Monday, Sep 21, 2026
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 26, 2026
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Iowa +5.5, Michigan -5.5; Over/Under: 38.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Iowa +5.5, Michigan -5.5; Over/Under: 38.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Iowa +5.5, Michigan -5.5; Over/Under: 38.5 points
Season Record
Iowa Hawkeyes: 3-0 (0-0) (3rd place, Big Ten)
Michigan Wolverines: 3-0 (0-0) (3rd place, Big Ten)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Vegas Writer is on a HOT STREAK in college football on an 8-2 CFB RUN for +$5,800 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
Iowa Hawkeyes: won their last game at home against the Northern Iowa Panthers 55-0.
Michigan Wolverines: won their last game at home against the UTEP Miners 52-17.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines Preview and Analysis
Iowa is entering this game with a 3-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Northern Iowa 55-0. Hank Brown was the starting QB and he completed 12/12 passes for 153 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Xavier Williams led the team in rushing yards with 151 and 3 TDs. Nathan McNeil led the receivers with 37 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Cam Buffington led the defense in that game with 6 tackles while Drew Campbell led the defense in sacks with 1. Jacob Wallace and Rashad Godfrey Jr. each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Michigan is entering this game with a 3-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against UTEP 52-17. Bryce Underwood was the starting QB and he completed 19/25 passes for 223 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Savion Hiter led the team in rushing yards with 62 and 2 TDs. Andrew Marsh led the receivers with 105 receiving yards on 10 receptions and 1 TD. Chase Taylor led the defense in that game with 5 tackles while Tariq Boney and John Henry Daley each led the defense in sacks with 1. Jonah Lea'ea came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Iowa vs Michigan Prediction
The current betting odds have Michigan listed as a 5.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Michigan has looked good in their games this season with their 3-0 record overall so far. They have looked great on their home field too with their 3-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, Iowa has looked good in their games this season with their 3-0 record overall so far. They haven't played any road games though and will be playing their 1st road game of the year here. Iowa is coming off a 55-0 win over a team from the FCS, but they haven't been challenged with a road game yet. They have looked great in 2 games against bad opponents, but their only real test was a battle for them. They had a lot of trouble beating Iowa State at home in the Cy-Hawk, coming away with a 16-13 win in the end, but they could barely get by a depleted Iowa State team who lost their head coach late last season. Michigan didn't have a great start to the season and they had a really close call against Western Michigan, but they escaped that game with the win and have looked a lot better since then. They ended up taking down a ranked Oklahoma team with one of the best defenses in the nation and now they are coming off a 52-17 win over UTEP in their last one, their offense finally showing some life. Whittingham is still trying to put his stamp on this team in his 1st season, but they have been improving under him in every game and that defense is going to be an issue for this Iowa offense that had a lot of trouble against the only real opponent they faced. The home advantage is going to help give Michigan a big edge in this one and they have the better offense to edge this one out at home. The best way to place a bet here is on Michigan to cover the spread in this game.
Iowa Michigan Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 26, 2026 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Michigan 20 Iowa 13.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Iowa Hawkeyes Michigan Wolverines prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
Iowa Hawkeyes: 17-10 ATS in all lined games. 6-3 ATS in road lined games. 10-5 ATS when the total is between 35.5 and 42 points. 10-2 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 13-3 OVER when the total is between 35.5 and 42 points.
Michigan Wolverines: 6-10 ATS as a favorite. 6-10 ATS after playing a game at home. 1-4 ATS after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins. 8-4 OVER off a home win.
Key Injuries
Iowa Hawkeyes: L. Phillips Jr. (RB) Out - Ankle. D. Vonnahme (TE) Out - Undisclosed. K. Moulton (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Michigan Wolverines: L. Forbes (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. H. Hansen (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“All three of them stepped up and really did well. And it was good to see because they’re all young players that we haven’t seen a lot on the game field.” - Kirk Ferentz after his team’s win against UNI in their last game.
“Big concern. Hopefully that can slow down because six in three games is way too many.” - Kyle Whittingham on his team fumbling after their win against UTEP in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Iowa Hawkeyes
WR Vander Zee, Reece
WR Diaz, Tony
WR James, Evan
TE Vonnahme, DJ
QB Brown, Hank
RB Moulton, Kamari
Michigan Wolverines
WR Marsh, Andrew
WR Goodwin, Channing
WR Buchanan, JJ
TE Hoffman, Jalen
QB Underwood, Bryce
RB Marshall, Jordan
Statistical Leaders
Iowa Hawkeyes
Passing: Hank Brown (473)
Rushing: Kamari Moulton (240)
Receiving: Tony Diaz (201)
Touchdowns: Xavier Williams (4)
Michigan Wolverines
Passing: Bryce Underwood (504)
Rushing: Bryce Underwood (156)
Receiving: JJ Buchanan (266)
Touchdowns: Bryce Underwood (2)
Coaches:
Iowa Hawkeyes: Kirk Ferentz (28th season)
Michigan Wolverines: Kyle Whittingham (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
