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NCAAF · October 31, 2026

Wisconsin Badgers vs Iowa Hawkeyes Preview & Odds — October 31, 2026

Wisconsin Badgers

4-2

Quarterback Colton Joseph

Iowa Hawkeyes

4-2

Quarterback Hank Brown

Saturday, October 31 · 12:00 PM ET

WISOffense2026 regular season to dateIOWA

57th+0.083

EPA/play

+0.01986th

36th49.5%

Success %

42.5%115th

69th25.5

PPG

23.587th

WISDefenseIOWA

8th−0.142

EPA/play allowed

−0.01642nd

13th41.3%

Success % allowed

46.7%68th

13th16.3

Opp PPG

16.715th

WISRecent formIOWA

Wvs Eastern Michigan 54-10W@ Penn State 24-20Wvs Michigan State 31-3L@ UCLA 7-17Wvs USC 24-7

Resultsoldest to newest

Wvs Northern Iowa 55-0W@ Michigan 20-19Lvs Ohio State 14-31W@ Washington 41-24L@ Minnesota 10-13

5-2

Record

5-2

4-3

ATS

4-3

3-4

Over–under

2-5

WISHome and roadseason to dateIOWA

4-0

Home record

3-1

1-2

Road record

2-1

3-1

Home ATS

2-2

1-2

Road ATS

2-1

1-3

Home O/U

1-3

2-1

Road O/U

1-2

WISLast 10 gamesIOWA

Game by game

5-2

Last 7

5-2

+82

Net points

+96

Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)

Rest & travelrest and travel

WISRest & travelIOWA

7 days

Days of rest

7 days

146 mi236 km

Travel to the game

Home

Venue

Kinnick Stadium

About these numbers

2026 regular season to date, captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (138 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

Last five results this season, oldest to newest. Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Against-the-spread (ATS) and over–under records use the consensus closing line.

Margin of each of the last 7 games this season, oldest to newest (gold = won). Hover a bar for the score margin.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

Matchup preview

Wisconsin (4-2) visits Iowa (4-2) on Saturday, October 31 at 12:00 PM ET.

Wisconsin has the 57th-ranked offense by EPA per play (expected points added per snap) and the 8th-ranked defense (ranks among the 138 teams with play-by-play data). Meanwhile, Iowa has the 86th-ranked offense and the 42nd-ranked defense. When Wisconsin has the ball, a 57th-ranked offense (+0.083 EPA per play) meets a 42nd-ranked defense (−0.016 allowed); when Iowa has it, a 86th-ranked offense (+0.019) meets a 8th-ranked defense (−0.142 allowed).

By success rate (the share of plays that gain expected points), the Wisconsin offense is at 49.5% (36th) and the Iowa offense at 42.5% (115th). Wisconsin scores 25.5 points per game (69th) and allows 16.3 (13th); Iowa scores 23.5 (87th) and allows 16.7 (15th).

Wisconsin is 5-2 and 4-3 against the spread; its last game was a 24-7 win over USC. Iowa is 5-2 and 4-3 against the spread; its last game was a 13-10 loss to Minnesota.

Iowa is a 3.5-point favorite at home against Wisconsin. The spread has not moved since it opened. The total is 36.5, down from 39.5 at the open. After removing the vig, the moneyline (Wisconsin +140, Iowa -170) prices Wisconsin at 40% and Iowa at 60%.

Built from public team and player data; ranks are league-wide and update daily until kickoff.

Market

Odds and line movement

Spreadno move

OpenIowa -3.5 (-115)
Wisconsin +3.5 (-105)

NowIowa -3.5 (-105)
Wisconsin +3.5 (-115)

Totaldown 3

Open39.5 (o -110 / u -110)

Now36.5 (o -112 / u -108)

Moneyline

OpenWisconsin +150 38%
Iowa -182 62%

NowWisconsin +140 40%
Iowa -170 60%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. The Now column updates from our odds board. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Best available prices on Oct 28

Wisconsin +3.5-110Hard Rock
Iowa -3.5+106Novig
Over 36.5-110FanDuel
Under 36.5+102Novig
Wisconsin+150Novig
Iowa-153Novig

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score

Spread

Total

Win %

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Matchup

Players to watch

Wisconsin

QB · Colton Joseph

Attempts173
Completion %57.2%193rd
Passing yards1,256164th
Yards per attempt7.3137th
TD–INT11–5

Leading rusher (QB) · Colton Joseph

Rushing yards365137th
Season line84 carries, 365 yds, 4 TD

Leading receiver (WR) · Tyrell Henry

Receiving yards343155th
Season line28 catches, 343 yds, 1 TD

Leading tackler (LB) · Cooper Catalano

Tackles6047th

Iowa

QB · Hank Brown

Attempts145
Completion %61.4%140th
Passing yards968209th
Yards per attempt6.7187th
TD–INT6–3

Leading rusher (RB) · Kamari Moulton

Rushing yards54150th
Season line86 carries, 541 yds, 4 TD

Leading receiver (WR) · Tony Diaz

Receiving yards386113th
Season line29 catches, 386 yds, 1 TD

Leading tackler (LB) · Cam Buffington

Tackles6234th

Season passing totals from public box scores, captured before kickoff. Ranks among the 264 quarterbacks with at least 60 attempts. Rushing, receiving and tackle leaders: season totals captured October 28, 5:34 a.m. ET; ranks among FBS players.

Success by situation

Situation	Wisconsin	Iowa
Early-down success rateWisconsin offense vs Iowa defense	46.3%26th	45.4%102nd
Early-down success rateIowa offense vs Wisconsin defense	37.6%9th	40.1%107th
3rd-down conversion rateWisconsin offense vs Iowa defense	45.2%32nd	33.8%22nd
3rd-down conversion rateIowa offense vs Wisconsin defense	46.4%117th	39.7%76th
Explosive play rateWisconsin offense vs Iowa defense	6.4%80th	6.1%49th
Explosive play rateIowa offense vs Wisconsin defense	4.3%10th	5.3%117th
Pass rateshare of plays that are passes or sacks	43.7%115th-highest	54.7%27th-highest

On 3rd down Wisconsin converts 45.2% (32nd) against a Iowa defense allowing 33.8% (22nd).

On 3rd down Iowa converts 39.7% (76th) against a Wisconsin defense allowing 46.4% (117th).

2026 regular season before kickoff, from play-by-play with garbage time removed; ranks among the 138 teams in the play-by-play data (defense: 1st = allows the least). Success = a play that gains expected points.

Coaching staff

Staff	Wisconsin	Iowa
Head coach	Luke Fickell	Kirk Ferentz
Tenureat this school	4th season	28th season
Record at schoolthis season included, as of the date below	22–23	218–130
Career recordas an FBS head coach	85–48	218–130
Offensive coordinator	Jeff Grimes	Tim Lester
Defensive coordinator	Mike Tressel	Phil Parker

Staff list as of October 27, 6:50 a.m. ET.

Head-to-head

The teams have met 5 times since 2021: Wisconsin won 1 and Iowa 4.

Date	Score	Line	Total
Oct 11, 2025	Iowa 37, Wisconsin 0 Iowa won
Nov 2, 2024	Wisconsin 10, Iowa 42 Iowa won
Oct 14, 2023	Iowa 15, Wisconsin 6 Iowa won
Nov 12, 2022	Wisconsin 10, Iowa 24 Iowa won
Oct 30, 2021	Iowa 7, Wisconsin 27 Wisconsin won

Meetings since 2021, most recent first. Line and total are the consensus closing numbers where line history is available.

Result

After the final: score vs the closing line, Drive X-Ray and the graded official play, if there was one, appear here on this same page.

Teams