2025 Iowa Football Win Totals: Odds released for anticipated season

Next season will be Kirk Ferentz‘s 27th head season as Iowa‘s head coach. Alas, oddsmakers aren’t expecting anything too special. According to FanDuel, the Hawkeyes have +126 odds to win more than 7.5 games in the 2025 regular season and -154 odds to fall under the 7.5-win mark.

The Hawkeyes posted an 8-4 record in the regular season last year. However, they could have a more grueling campaign ahead of them.

Iowa will likely be the underdog against Penn State and Oregon next season. The Hawkeyes won’t be able to sleepwalk through their other opponents in the Big Ten, either. Moreover, Iowa has a challenging non-conference showdown against Iowa State in Week 2.

Iowa State was one of the best teams in the Big 12 last season and finished the year with an 11-3 record. The Cyclones will be an early test for the Hawkeyes, and could easily escape with a win if Iowa isn’t prepared.

Despite oddsmakers’ doubts, Iowa fans have plenty to be excited about in the upcoming season. To start, the Hawkeyes reeled in South Dakota State transfer QB Mark Gronowski this offseason. Gronkowski was a two-time national champ at the FCS level.

In his four years at SDSU, Gronowski amassed 55 appearances, tallying 10,330 passing yards, 1,767 rushing yards, 93 passing touchdowns and 37 rushing scores. He won the 2023 Walter Payton Award, annually given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS.

Iowa’s defense is expected to be stellar as well next season. The Hawkeyes gave up just 318.4 total yards per game last season, the 20th-least in the country.

While Iowa will return several key pieces, it lost former All-American linebacker Jay Higgins to the NFL this offseason. Young pieces and transfers will have to step up if the Hawkeyes want to maintain their defensive reputation.

Speaking of transfers, Iowa has 10 incoming players via the portal. Multiple notable defenders highlight the transfer class, including Bryce Hawthorne and Jonah Pace. FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt ranked Iowa as the No. 23 team in his preseason rankings.

“Iowa has earned the benefit of the doubt,” Klatt said. “They were 8-5. Is that great last year? Eh, maybe, 8-5 is not great. But, three of those losses were by three points or less, so they’re right there. A lot of times, close losses can turn into close wins the next year, in particular if you’re improving, if you’re on an upward trajectory. I believe that they are.”