Iowa Big Favorite Over Indiana in Week 1 on Gambling Website

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There are just 65 days remaining until the start of Indiana's college football season. The Hoosiers open in Iowa City against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, Sept. 4.

The gambling website Draftkings is the first major site to release the full Week 1 points spreads, and they think the Hoosiers are going to struggle. They have installed Iowa as a 5.5-point favorite in the game, which will start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Both teams are expected to be ranked in the preseason top-25 polls, and it's the best matchup of the first weekend in the Big Ten. Indiana has 18 starters returning and the Hoosiers are expecting to continue to build on their momentum from the past two years, where they've gone 8-4 and 6-1 in the regular season.

Here are all the point spreads for Big Ten teams in Week 1:

Saturday, Aug. 28

Nebraska (minus-9.5) at Illinois

Thursday, Sept. 2

Ohio State (minus-14) at Minnesota

Friday, Sept. 3

Michigan State at Northwestern (minus-6.5)

Saturday, Sept. 4

Indiana at Iowa (minus-5.5)
Oregon State at Purdue (minus-5.5)
Western Michigan at Michigan (minus-17.5)
Penn State at Wisconsin (minus-3.5)
West Virginia (minus-4.5) at Maryland
Texas-San Antonio at Illinois (minus-7.5)

Indiana was 6-1 during the regular season in the shortened 2020 season, and they covered the point spread in all seven games.

Indiana against spread in 2020

Indiana 36, No. 8 Penn State 35 in OT on Oct. 24 in Bloomington, Ind. (Penn State was a 7-point favorite)
No. 17 Indiana 38, Rutgers 21 on Oct. 31 in Piscataway, N.J. (Indiana was a 10.5-point favorite)
No. 13 Indiana 38, No. 23 Michigan 21 on Nov. 7 in Bloomington, Ind. (Michigan was 4-point favorite)
No. 10 Indiana 24, Michigan State 0 on Nov. 14 at East Lansing, Mich. (Indiana was a 7.5-point favorite)
No. 3 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Indiana 35 on Nov. 21 at Columbus, Ohio. (Ohio State was a 21-point favorite)
No. 12 Indiana 27, Maryland 11 on Nov. 28 at Bloomington, Ind. (Indiana was an 11.5-point favorite)
No. 12 Indiana 14, No. 16 Wisconsin 6 on Dec. 5 at Madison, Wis. (Wisconsin was a 13.5-point favorite)