Ohio State vs. Iowa Expert Picks for Saturday: College Football Odds, Predictions

Today's showdown brings us one of the biggest games on the college football schedule, and we have you covered with our Ohio State vs. Iowa expert picks. The No. 5 Buckeyes travel to take on the No. 14 Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS).

Ohio State and Iowa both enter the matchup with plenty at stake in this Big Ten showdown. The Buckeyes are looking to continue their strong start to the season, while Iowa will look to protect home field against one of the nation's top-ranked teams in what should be a physical conference battle.

🏈 Ohio State vs. Iowa expert picks: College football Saturday

See all of our experts' college football picks for Week 5 based on the latest college football odds.

Mike Spector's pick: First half Under 23.5 (-105)

First half Under 23.5 (-105 via bet365)

There has been no hangover for Ohio State after losing to Texas in Week 2, as it scored 101 points over the last two weeks. But I’m focused more on the Buckeyes defense which has allowed just one touchdown on 36 opponent drives over the first three quarters of games.

On the other side, Iowa’s defense leads the country in points per game allowed (8.0) and is 10th in total defense (239.8 yards per game). The Hawkeyes have allowed just three touchdowns over 16 quarters of action this season.

Originally I was curious about siding with the perceived sharp action on Iowa’s side, as the line quickly moved off the key number of +14 to +13.5. But now Ohio State has drifted back out to -14.5, and Iowa is also 0-7 ATS in its last seven games as a double-digit underdog. Thus, the first-half Under is my safest bet, as Iowa will likely play conservatively and do everything in its power to keep this game close heading into the second half.

See Mike Spector's full analysis in his Ohio State vs. Iowa predictions.

LJ Blut's pick: Bo Jackson anytime TD (-125 via FanDuel)

Bo Jackson enters this matchup with two rushing touchdowns and 283 yards on 50 carries through four games, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. The Ohio State running back remains the projected starter against Iowa, giving him a clear opportunity to handle valuable touches near the goal line.

The Buckeyes will face a Hawkeyes defense allowing just 87.8 rushing yards per game, so efficiency will be important. However, Jackson has already demonstrated his ability to break through for explosive runs, and his combination of workload and scoring potential makes him a strong candidate to find the end zone.

See LJ Blut's full analysis in his Ohio State vs. Iowa touchdown scorer pick.

Brenden Schaeffer's pick: Under 45.5 (-110 via FanDuel)

In a way, Lane Kiffin is the architect of both offenses in this game. Both teams are averaging preposterous scoring rates early in the season, with Ole Miss at 41.0 PPG and LSU even higher, at 48.0 PPG.

While the Tigers’ defense could mute some of the scoring potential to some extent, there are multiple Heisman candidates on the other side of a charged-up environment. Ole Miss won’t get shut down entirely.

Both teams hitting 30+ points wouldn’t surprise me, so I like the Over up to at least 60 points in this one.

See Brenden Schaeffer's full analysis in his Ohio State vs. Iowa same-game parlay.

📺 How to watch Ohio State vs. Iowa: Week 5

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
• Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa)
• Streaming: CBS