Iowa football: Staff picks and predictions for the Miami (OH) game

Tomorrow evening, the Iowa football team takes on Miami (OH), and they are favored by 22.5 points. Here’s how we would bet on that game.

When you think of Iowa football you don’t necessarily think of an offensive barrage, right?

Well, according to the Bovado, the Iowa football team is predicted to beat the University of Miami Ohio by over 3 touchdowns.

Look, I know Miami of Ohio went 6-6 last year, but out of the 6 losses they had, only 3 of them came by more than 10 points. However, the biggest loss of the season came to a fellow Big Ten West team, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, by 23 points.

The weather looked to play a factor earlier in the week and still doesn’t look great, but there is optimism. The current forecast for Iowa City on Saturday is calling for 70 degrees and a 40% chance of rain.

As Ferentz said during Media Days, Iowa’s number one goal this year is to get the run game going and if the weather is as predicted, I could see Mekhi Sargent and Toren Young getting a hefty load.

And if the Iowa football team can get their running game going, this will open up play action. Not to add, the addition of Oliver Martin adds another dimension to the Iowa offense. Personally, I think Iowa’s offense feasts against a RedHawks defense that gave up over 5 yards a play last year, and over 25 points a game.

I think Iowa gains their offensive identity, and the defense stifles Miami of Ohio to under 14 points. Hawks are going to cover and get a dominating win over the RedHawks.

Final Score: Iowa 38 – Miami of Ohio 13.

Below we decided to have our Dear Old Gold contributors give their own synopsis on the game and spread:

Cameron Huggins: Iowa -22.5

38-17. Iowa scores early and often. Miami Ohio struggles most of the day to move the ball and gets a cheap touchdown late to backdoor cover the 21.5 pt spread

Matt Opad: Miami of Ohio +22.5

34-13, it’ll take a few drives to get the rust off of the Iowa offense, but luckily the defense picks up where they left off last year. Miami OH has been one of the best teams against the spread over the last five years and that continues, albeit barely.

Cole Gross: Iowa -22.5

40-7 Ihmir Smith Marsette takes the opening kick off to the house to start the scoring. Iowa defense gets going slow to have Miami Ohio tie the game at 7. Defense steps up afterward getting two pick-sixes and the offense rolls in the second half.

Ryan Sikes: Miami of Ohio +22.5

31-10. The Iowa offense starts off slowly as Nate Stanley tries to develop chemistry with his new tight ends. The score is close at halftime but Toren Young provides a much-needed spark in the second half. Oliver Martin hauls in his first touchdown pass as a Hawkeye and Iowa rolls in the 4th quarter. Spencer Petras closes out the final 3 minutes.

Kevin Hanson: Iowa -22.5

38-13. Hawks pile on early and ground and pound Miami into a pulp. Look for Toren Young to make some big plays and Nate Stanley to rely on his new crop of receivers in play-action for big chunk plays. AJ and the rest of Phil Parker’s attacking defense make mincemeat of Miami and Iowa rolls in the second half due to a John Milani-blocked punt.

Andrew Wade: Iowa – 22.5

I don’t like picking the Iowa football team to cover in their season-opener, but I think they are going to be hungry and excited. Since Nate Stanley took over as starting quarterback, this program has been building to this year, and all the pieces are in place for this to be one of the most talented teams in the Kirk Ferentz era. Unless it rains, this will be a blowout.