Iowa vs. Purdue: Odds, Picks and Prediction for Saturday's Big Ten Matchup

No. 15 Iowa will welcome Purdue to Iowa City on Saturday for a Big Ten Conference matchup, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Hawkeyes bring a 7-2 record into the contest and have won two straight games, while the Boilermakers arrive at 3-6 and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

Iowa's recent form earned the program a notable bump in the Week 11 College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday, as the Hawkeyes climbed four spots. Purdue, meanwhile, has dropped consecutive games to Washington, Penn State and Maryland heading into this weekend's trip.

The oddsmakers see a lopsided contest. Iowa is a 17.5-point favorite at home in the latest Purdue vs. Iowa odds, and the over/under for total points is set at 47.5. On the money line, the Hawkeyes are listed at -900, meaning a bettor would need to risk $900 to win $100, while Purdue is priced at +600.

Iowa is coming off a convincing 24-10 victory over Northwestern in Week 10, a game in which the Hawkeyes seized the lead within the first few minutes of the opening quarter and never gave it up. Running back L.J. Phillips Jr. turned in a season-best performance with 128 yards on 21 carries.

Quarterback Hank Brown contributed through the air and on the ground in that win. Brown completed 16 of 21 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and added 18 rushing yards and another score on three carries.

Purdue's most recent outing was a 34-29 defeat at the hands of Maryland in Week 10. The Boilermakers held a 12-7 advantage at halftime but were outscored 28-17 over the final two quarters. Quarterback Ryan Browne threw for 296 yards, completing 24 of 38 attempts in the loss.

The scoring profiles of the two teams point in different directions. Iowa averages 27.8 points per game and leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing just 12.2 points per game for a plus-15.6 scoring margin. Purdue averages 29.4 points scored per game but gives up 32.3, leaving the Boilermakers with a minus-2.9 scoring margin.

The betting trends are equally contrasting when it comes to the total. Purdue has gone 7-2 to the over this season, while Iowa games have gone 2-7 to the over. Against the spread, the Hawkeyes are 6-3 overall, 3-2 at home and 3-1 as a home favorite in 2026. The Boilermakers are 3-6 against the spread, including 3-3 as an underdog and 1-2 as a road underdog.

Despite Iowa's tendency toward lower-scoring games, the featured pick for this matchup is over 47.5 points. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts a comfortable Hawkeyes victory, projecting Iowa to defeat Purdue 33-17 on Saturday. A final score along those lines would push the combined total past the posted number while still falling well short of covering the 17.5-point spread for Purdue backers.