by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Nov 30, 2021Big Ten Championship Game
Game time: 8 p.m. ET; Dec. 4, 2021
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Where to watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Michigan -10.5
BetMGM: Michigan -10.5
Caesars: Michigan -10.5
Season record
No. 15 Iowa: 10-2 (7-2 Big Ten)
No. 2 Michigan: 11-1 (8-1 Big Ten)
It was a CFB "November to Remember" as Larry Ness ended the month 17-8, winning his CFB Game of the Year (Mia-Fl on 11/20) plus a "signature" LEGEND Play (LSU on 11/27). In fact, it's been a CFB "season to remember," as Larry enters Saturday 53-34-2, +$14,651 with all plays, including 14-3 with top-rated 10*s. Catch Larry’s and other plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Iowa - Michigan preview and analysis
Last week
Iowa: won 28-21 at Nebraska
Michigan: won 42-27 vs. Ohio State
The Michigan Wolverines finally did it. The parade is still happening in Ann Arbor.
But bigger aspirations lie ahead for Michigan, and it starts with the Big Ten Championship on Saturday when they face the Iowa Hawkeyes in Indianapolis.
A win for Michigan, now No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff rankings as of Tuesday, will guarantee the Wolverines a spot in the top four with a myriad of opponents at their disposal.
Until we get to that point, though, no one will be talking about who Michigan will play this week or who the Wolverines will face in the playoff for a good while. Michigan’s 15-point win over the Ohio State Buckeyes put a cap on Jim Harbaugh’s greatest season as Michigan coach. The fact that there’s still more to be had is about as crazy as can be imagined.
The Wolverines won this game behind the dominant running display from leading rusher Hassan Haskins, who ran for 169 yards and five touchdowns in the victory. For an offense that’s been about as balanced as can be, the Wolverines won in the trenches rather than Cade McNamara outduel C.J. Stroud.
“Watching the snow fall and the crowd rush onto the field was truly a surreal moment,” McNamara said.
The other component to Michigan was the play of potential No. 1 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson. The pass rusher had a team-high three sacks and broke the single-season mark in school history with 13 this season.
“Definitely should be in strong consideration for the Heisman Trophy,” Harbaugh said of the pass rusher, knowing full well that’s not likely to happen.
But nevertheless, Michigan is in the conversation with the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and Cincinnati Bearcats. Even the Oklahoma State Cowboys are now in the running to make things interesting should one of the four aforementioned teams slip up this weekend.
But Michigan will be tested against an Iowa team that has bounced back by way of lucky fortune. After losing consecutive games to Purdue and Wisconsin, Iowa won four straight against Northwestern, Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska to somehow find itself in a conference title game.
Tyler Goodson is coming off a 156-yard performance against Nebraska, the only one to figure out how to play offense over the last few weeks. Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla combined to go 13 of 27 for 178 yards. No matter who is playing, that Iowa offensive line is about to get devoured by Michigan’s front four.
If anything, we should really be throwing tomatoes at the Cornhuskers and Scott Frost for blowing a 21-9 fourth quarter lead and relegating us to watch this horrendous game.
Prediction
If Michigan loses this game, just disband the Big Ten for the remainder of time. This is no contest. Thank you for playing, Iowa. Please enjoy your bowl game. Michigan by 28
Betting trends
Michigan is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games.
The under is 4-1 in the last five matchups.
The underdog is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
Statistical leaders
Iowa:
Passing: Spencer Petras -- 1,532 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT
Rushing: Tyler Goodson -- 1,101 yards, 6 TD
Receiving: Sam LaPorta -- 486 yards, 2 TD
Michigan:
Passing: Cade McNamara -- 2,301 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Hassan Haskins -- 1,232 yards, 18 TD
Receiving: Cornelius Johnson -- 587 yards, 3 TD
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
