Hawkeyes have been very, very good to gamblers this decade

Most of us aren't foolish enough to gamble on football games. That's for suckers.

But if you're like me (perish the thought), you're endlessly fascinated by point-spreads, by how Nevada oddsmakers set lines, how the public bets on them, and how the results match up with the lines.

If you had bet on Iowa and only Iowa against the spread throughout the 2000s, you wouldn't be a sucker. You'd be ahead of the game.

Entering this season, the Hawkeyes had covered the spread 58.9 percent of the time (63-46). Iowa's had great years and not-so-great years in the decade, but it's remained a good cover team. That 58.9 percent has inched upward this season, since the Hawkeyes are 3-2 vs. the spread, though they've failed to cover in their last two outings.

Only Boise State and Utah have been better cover teams in America this decade. Boise State gave one back last night when it missed covering last night in its 28-21 win at Tulsa.

Thanks to the ever-interesting Wiz of Odds college football site for this info. To see a fuller breakdown of these numbers by teams and conferences, go to

the Wiz's site here.