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When Minnesota and Iowa go head-to-head in a Big Ten showdown on Friday night, it could look like the Spiderman meme where two Spidermen show up, realizing they’re looking at the same person. The Gophers, who entered 2020 after an 11-game winning season and ranked in the AP’s top 25, opened their season with back-to-back losses before claiming a win over Illinois last week. Iowa, a team ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and hoped to compete for a division title in 2020, opened their season with two losses before claiming a victory over Michigan State last week.
Which one is ready to do two in a row?
If recent history is any indication, it’s more likely to be the Hawkeyes. While Minnesota holds a 62-49-2 advantage in the all-time series between these Big Ten enemies, Iowa has gotten the better of the Gophers lately. The Hawkeyes have won five straight series wins and seven of the last eight. A win on Friday would give Iowa their longest winning streak against Minnesota in rivalry history.
A win is imperative for both teams as no one wants to get a 1-3 start in an eight-game season.
Storylines
Minnesota: While the 2020 season is already a bummer, it’s not too late to save the year. Losing to Michigan in the season opener wasn’t a punch, but the loss to Maryland in Week 2 was unexpected. Now, after a win over an exhausted Illinois team, the Gophers are looking to keep the momentum going. While offense has done its part – the Gophers are third in the Big Ten in points per practice – the defense has fallen behind. He allows 2.89 points per practice, which ranks 12th in the conference, although the number improved significantly against Illinois last week. This week we find out if it’s the result of a young Gophers defense that is found or if it is simply profiting from a bad offense from Illinois.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes offense needed last week’s game against Michigan State. While the defense held firm in the team’s two losses to Purdue and Northwestern, the offense had always struggled to put points on the board. The struggles stood out in the red zone, where Iowa has scored touchdowns on just four of its eight possessions. Against Michigan State, the Hawkeyes have found the end zone five times in seven trips, and while they would like to do better, making it to the red zone seven times in a game is a feat in itself.
Information display
Dated: Friday November 13 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: TCF Bank Stadium – Minneapolis
TV: FS1 | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Prediction Iowa to Minnesota, choice
It’s hard to read this one as both of these teams showed flaws in their first two games, but both flaws were less noticeable in last week’s wins. It’s unclear if this was the sign of things to come or the result of the teams they faced. While I would lean more to take the underside in this contest (it could be windy in Minneapolis on Friday night), if you’re looking for a game on the spread, I have a slight inclination towards Minnesota. Home teams tend to perform better over short weeks, especially home underdogs ATS. Picks: Minnesota +3.5
What college football picks can you confidently make in week 11? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread – all from a proven computer model that has grossed nearly $ 3,900 in profits over the past four seasons and more – and find out.
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