Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers odds: Early point spread released for Heroes Game
The battle for the Heroes Trophy returns Friday night as Iowa and Nebraska battle it out in the last game of the regular season. A Black Friday staple, this year’s game will be the last stop for the Hawkeyes as they get ready to go to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship.
Iowa enters the game as a 1.5-point road favorite, according to FanDuel. The over-under is set at 27.5.
How to watch Iowa vs. Nebraska
Date/Time: Nov. 24, noon ET
Channel: CBS, FuboTV
Location: Lincoln, Neb.
It’s been an interesting year for Iowa, to say the least. The Hawkeyes entered Week 12 with the worst total offense in the country, averaging just 243 yards per game and 18.8 points — which ranked 123 out of 133 FBS programs. They make up for it with their defense, though, which averages just 12.3 points allowed and 281.5 yards per game.
Still, Iowa found itself atop the Big Ten West with a chance to win the division entering its game against Illinois. The Fighting Illini didn’t make things easy thanks to a fourth-quarter rally, but the Hawkeyes did just enough to get the 15-13 win to punch their ticket to Lucas Oil Stadium. They’ll face the winner of Ohio State vs. Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Dec. 2.
Deacon Hill had a decent day for the Hawkeyes, throwing for 167 yards and a touchdown to help lead his team to victory. It’s the program’s third trip to the Big Ten Championship — its first since 2021 — and it comes as Brian Ferentz is on his way out the door.
As for Nebraska, Year 1 of the Matt Rhule era is going fairly well, all things considered. The Cornhuskers entered their game against Wisconsin knocking on the door of bowl eligibility as Rhule orchestrated an impressive turnaround from a 4-8 record a year ago.
However, the job probably had to get done against the Badgers because Iowa presents a tough matchup, according to On3’s Andy Staples, even if Nebraska won last year’s game.
“I think Nebraska should be fine,” Staples said on Andy Staples On3. “They do need to win this week. They need to beat Wisconsin, which is not having a great couple weeks.
“Nebraska needs to get bowl-eligible. I’m not sure I like them to get bowl-eligible against Iowa, even though they won with an interim staff last year against the Hawkeyes. Like, they need to win this weekend and get that No. 6.”
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The Heroes Game is usually one of the more intriguing rivalry games of the year. If last year’s game is an indication, anything can happen.