Two 5-2 teams heading in opposite directions meet at Kinnick Stadium with momentum on the line.
The Wisconsin Badgers (5-2) enter on a one-game winning streak after topping the USC Trojans 24-7 in Week 8. The Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) are coming off a one-game slide, having dropped a 10-13 decision to the Minnesota Golden Gophers that same week. Kickoff is set for Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET, with the game airing on Fox.
Game details
| When | Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET |
| Where | Kinnick Stadium |
| TV | Fox |
| Line | Iowa Hawkeyes -2.5 | O/U 36.5 (market view) |
| Wisconsin Badgers record | 5-2 |
| Iowa Hawkeyes record | 5-2 |
The matchup
Wisconsin has won four of its last five results, with the only loss coming on the road against the UCLA Bruins by a 7-17 score in Week 7. The Badgers blew out Eastern Michigan 54-10 in Week 3 and handled Michigan State 31-3 in Week 5, showing they can put points on the board when the matchup favors them. Their lone road win in the recent stretch came in overtime fashion at Penn State, a 24-20 final back in Week 4.
Iowa's season has been a string of alternating results. The Hawkeyes beat Washington 41-24 in Week 6 and Michigan 20-19 in Week 4, but sandwiched around those wins are losses to Ohio State (14-31) and now Minnesota (10-13). Iowa's only lopsided result this season came in a 55-0 rout of Northern Iowa back in Week 3. Neither team has played the other yet this year, so there's no head-to-head history from this season to lean on.
Key matchups
This one likely comes down to which defense holds up better. Wisconsin has allowed 107 points across its seven games while scoring 189, and Iowa has allowed just 100 points while scoring 196 of its own. Both teams clearly lean on defense to keep games close, and neither offense has been piling up points in bunches outside of a couple of blowout wins.
Iowa's defense has been stingy for most of the year aside from the Ohio State game, and Wisconsin has shown it can grind out a win even without huge offensive numbers, as its 24-7 win over USC showed. Whichever team can find a spark on offense without turning the ball over in a low-scoring environment should have the edge late.
The pick
The betting market has Iowa as a 2.5-point favorite at home, with the total set at 36.5 and a market score of Iowa 20, Wisconsin 17. That lines up with how both teams have played all season: tight, defense-oriented games decided by single scores. Given Iowa's home field and the market's lean, a close finish feels likely, but Wisconsin's win streak and its ability to grind out tough road results make this one worth watching deep into the fourth quarter.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Badgers | Wk8 W 24-7 vs USC Trojans, Wk7 L 7-17 vs UCLA Bruins, Wk5 W 31-3 vs Michigan State Spartans |
| Iowa Hawkeyes | Wk8 L 10-13 vs Minnesota Golden Gophers, Wk6 W 41-24 vs Washington Huskies, Wk5 L 14-31 vs Ohio State Buckeyes |
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.