Two teams sitting at 6-2 meet with opposite momentum heading into Saturday night.
Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2) arrive on a one-game winning streak. Northwestern Wildcats (6-2) are on a one-game losing streak. Kickoff is set for Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET at Ryan Field, with the game airing on Fox.
Game details
| When | Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET |
| Where | Ryan Field |
| TV | Fox |
| Line | Iowa Hawkeyes -2.5 | O/U 43.5 (market view) |
| Iowa Hawkeyes record | 6-2 |
| Northwestern Wildcats record | 6-2 |
The matchup
Iowa Hawkeyes enter having won their last outing 30-0 over Wisconsin Badgers at home on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Before that shutout, the Hawkeyes dropped a tight 10-13 road decision to Minnesota Golden Gophers. Further back, Iowa knocked off Washington Huskies 41-24 on the road, lost 14-31 at home to Ohio State Buckeyes, and opened that stretch with a 20-19 road win over Michigan Wolverines. Iowa has outscored opponents 226-100 on the season.
Northwestern Wildcats are coming off a 26-34 road loss to Oregon Ducks on Saturday, October 31, 2026, snapping what had been a run of wins. Prior to that defeat, the Wildcats beat Rutgers Scarlet Knights 42-14 at home, knocked off Michigan State Spartans 24-21 on the road, handled Ball State Cardinals 45-14 at home, and beat Penn State Nittany Lions 34-13 at home. Northwestern has scored 269 points and allowed 150 this season.
Key matchups
Iowa's defense has been the backbone of its season, allowing just 100 points across its games so far, and that unit will be tested against a Northwestern offense that has put up 269 points on the year.
Northwestern's defense, which has given up 150 points this season, will need to find answers for an Iowa team that has scored 226 points and is coming off a shutout win over Wisconsin.
The pick
The market lists Iowa Hawkeyes as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 43.5, and projects a final score of Iowa 23, Northwestern 21.
Iowa's defense has been stingier this season, and the Hawkeyes arrive with the better recent trend after that shutout of Wisconsin. Northwestern will need to shake off the loss to Oregon and lean on the offense that has carried it to six wins. This one sets up as a close finish, matching the market's tight line.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Iowa Hawkeyes | Wk9 W 30-0 vs Wisconsin Badgers, Wk8 L 10-13 vs Minnesota Golden Gophers, Wk6 W 41-24 vs Washington Huskies |
| Northwestern Wildcats | Wk9 L 26-34 vs Oregon Ducks, Wk8 W 42-14 vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Wk7 W 24-21 vs Michigan State Spartans |
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.