The fifth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes opened the 2020 season with a pair of losses before running the table to finish with a 6-2 record. They’ve picked up right where they left off, winning each of their first four contests in 2021 — all by double digits. The Hawkeyes seek their first 11-game winning streak since 2016 when they visit the Maryland Terrapins for a Big Ten Conference game on Friday. Iowa (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) is coming off a 24-14 triumph over Colorado State in which it trailed at halftime.
Kickoff at Maryland Stadium in College Park is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Hawkeyes are three-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Maryland odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 48. Before making any Maryland vs. Iowa picks and college football predictions, you need to see what the proven SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. After going a sizzling 9-3 in Week 4, it enters Week 5 of the 2021 season on an 81-61 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Iowa vs. Maryland and just revealed its CFB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see all of the model’s college football picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Maryland vs. Iowa:
- Iowa vs. Maryland spread: Hawkeyes -3
- Iowa vs. Maryland over-under: 48 points
- Iowa vs. Maryland money line: Hawkeyes -160, Terrapins +140
- IOWA: The Hawkeyes are 5-1 against the spread in their last six overall contests
- MD: The Terrapins are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 conference games
Featured Game | Maryland Terrapins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Why Iowa can cover
The Hawkeyes are seeking their first 5-0 start since 2015, when they won their first 12 games of the season. The team has been excelling on both sides of the ball during its 10-game winning streak, scoring an average of 32.9 points while allowing 12.7 per contest. Nine of Iowa’s victories during the run have been by double digits, with six being by 20 or more points.
Tyler Goodson has led Iowa’s ground attack during the winning streak, averaging 100.9 rushing yards while running for 11 touchdowns. The junior was limited to 57 yards on 18 carries against Colorado State but was an integral part of the passing game, making a team high-tying four catches for 34 yards. A week earlier, Goodson set career highs of 153 yards and three TDs in the Hawkeyes’ 30-7 triumph over Kent State.
Why Maryland can cover
The Terrapins’ aerial attack was instrumental in their 37-16 victory over Kent State on Saturday. Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns as he completed passes to 12 different receivers. Since transferring from Alabama prior to the 2020 season, the junior quarterback has averaged 293.9 passing yards, the highest amount in the Big Ten during that span.
Among Power Five quarterbacks, Tagovailoa is fourth in the nation over that stretch, trailing only Matt Corral of Ole Miss (334.1), North Carolina’s Sam Howell (297.3) and Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong (294). This season, he has thrown for 335 yards per contest, which ranks him first in the conference and seventh in the country. Tagovailoa has amassed 1,340 passing yards over the first four games of 2021 and is on pace to eclipse Maryland’s single-season record of 3,499 set in 1993 by Scott Milanovich.
How to make Iowa vs. Maryland picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total. In fact, it says neither Petras nor Tagovailoa throws for more than 205 yards. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get that Iowa vs. Maryland pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Maryland vs. Iowa? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Iowa vs. Maryland spread to back, all from the advanced model that is up almost $3,300 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
