Iowa Hawkeyes - Central Michigan Chippewas: Kickoff Time, Betting Lines, Television, Prediction

Game Time: 11:00 a.m.

Television: Big Ten Network

Vegas Prediction: Iowa is favored by oddsmakers by more than two touchdowns, likely due to home field advantage for the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.

Previous Games: Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Northern Iowa Panthers 27-16,the Chippewas lost to Michigan State 41-7 (two weeks ago, last week was a bye week)

Iowa City Patch Prediction Record So Far: 2-0

Patch Prediction:  We'll see if I can predict better than Peabody the rabbit.

Iowa looked to have gained a little momentum last week during the Northern Iowa game rushing for over 200 yards despite losing its top two running backs to injury, mostly due to the domination of the Iowa offensive line.

The Iowa passing game also looked better. Even though James Vandenberg is still looking for his first touchdown pass of the year, his connection with the wide receivers was much better than it was the previous two games, which were marred by miscommunication and drops.

Central Michigan, on the other hand, couldn't get much going at all against its most recent opponent, the Michigan State Spartans, putting only seven points up on the board against the strong MSU defense.

The matchup of the game will likely be Iowa's offense versus the attacking Chippewas defense. James Vandenberg has struggled against blitzing defenses in the past, and it will be up to him to put Iowa in good position to exploit the blitzes, especially if the Chippewas don't respect the running threat of backup backup backup running back Mark Weisman. Central Michigan will also likely benefit from the bye week in preperation.

For this reason the game could be close for awhile, much like the Northern Illinois game in many ways, but I am predicting Iowa to pull away in the second half. Also, fearless prediction, Vandenberg throws a touchdown pass.

Final Score: Hawkeyes: 31, Chippewas: 17.

Where to Watch: If you prefer to hang with the crowd, here's a few places to catch the game this weekend.

Mickey's Irish Pub

Legacy Sports Bar & Grill

Kenny's Pub

Sidetrack Pub

Chops Old Bank

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