Iowa Michigan Betting – Denard Robinson Tries To Regroup After First Rough Outing Of 2010
The Heisman Trophy candidacy of Denard Robinson took a huge hit against Michigan State Spartans. Robinson will try to regroup against Iowa, but he’ll need help from his defense.
NCAA football betting: Iowa Hawkeyes @ Michigan Wolverines
Online Betting Odds: Iowa -3.5
Why To Bet On Iowa
It’s always going to be a comfortable feeling to know that even if the Iowa Hawkeyes can’t move the ball tremendously well, their defense can always ride to the rescue. Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker – who just had his foot amputated due to complications from diabetes – still has one of the very best defensive units in the country. When Iowa suffered its lone loss of the season on Sept. 18t to Arizona Wildcats, you couldn’t have blamed the Hawkeyes’ defense. Iowa’s offense and special teams handed Arizona 21 of the 34 points the Wildcats ultimately scored, thanks to a pick-six, a blocked punt, and a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Parker’s defensive group simply doesn’t get scored on in bunches, and that’s exactly what Michigan needs to do in order to win games.
Michigan’s defense is porous, as Michigan State showed last Saturday in a relatively easy 34-17 win over the Wolverines. Michigan’s secondary is thin and inexperienced due to the injuries of more seasoned starters who began the year at the top of the depth chart. The Wolverines are vulnerable to both the run and the pass; their defensive front is also not up to par, and it’s been getting pushed around by opponents with fewer credentials than Michigan State. The University of Massachusetts rang up 37 points against the Maize and Blue, whose defensive coordinator, Greg Robinson, has done some of the worst defensive coaching in the entire United States over the past two and a half seasons. Iowa should be concerned about stopping Denard Robinson, but this Hawkeye defense should be up to the task.
Why To Bet On Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines will be playing at home and will be highly motivated to bounce back after getting spanked by Sparty, the in-state rival who has taken control of the Michigan-MSU series. Emotion is a huge part of college football, and with Iowa coming into Ann Arbor for an extremely important contest, Michigan will have passion flowing through the veins of each and every player. That might help this team to play with more toughness and physicality in the trenches.
The other main angle that might lend credence to the notion of a Michigan upset is this: Denard Robinson, who finally had a poor game last Saturday against Michigan State, will finally be able to look at a game film this week and see the ways in which he failed to properly read a defense. The process of reviewing a game in which his mistakes outstripped his good plays will make Robinson a better, smarter player, and if Robinson applies the lessons learned from his mistakes, Iowa’s defense could very well be caught off balance.
How The Game Will Play Out
Denard Robinson will probably play better than he did the week before, but can his teammates help him out? More specifically, can Michigan’s defense contain a less-than-spectacular Iowa offense led by inconsistent quarterback Ricky Stanzi? The sense here is that Robinson will land a few blows, but Iowa will perform with more steadiness and poise from start to finish. Stanzi will have a great game against Michigan’s anemic defense, and that’s what will make the difference in a 10-point Hawkeye victory.
Iowa Michigan Betting Pick: Iowa -3.5
