Hlastradamus lives on razor’s edge when picking Iowa-Ohio State

How brilliant is Hlastradamus, really?

How dare you even consider the question! When the prophet last met you here, two weeks ago, he took Iowa against Illinois and Iowa State against Kansas State. The Hawkeyes and Cyclones lost.

Ahh, but those were winning picks. Iowa was a 3.5-point underdog and lost by just 3. Iowa State was a 2-point dog and fell by just 1.

That is living on the razor’s edge, but the seer has spent centuries doing just that without as much as a scratch. Now he’s adding another super-sharp Saturday of success to his legacy.

Ohio State -30 vs. Iowa

Come on. The Hawkeyes haven’t lost by 30 points in forever. Sure, they lost by 39 to Michigan last December, but 39 isn’t 30.

The soothsayer has seen the vision of the strategy of Iowa’s defense. The Hawkeyes intend to pick off C.J. Stroud’s first pass and run it back for a touchdown. If that doesn’t happen, it’s time to worry.

Maryland -13.5 vs. Northwestern

Northwestern has scored seven points in both of its last two games. It plays at Iowa next week.

Hlastradamus can’t go to that game because he has a wedding to go to that day. Or a funeral. Or a christening of a yacht. Any excuse will work. The visionary prefers offense.

Purdue +2.5 at Wisconsin

Wisconsin is in the middle of a nightmarish season, but since we’re getting close to Halloween, the Badgers will start feeling more comfortable. That starts with playing a Boilermakers team it has defeated the last 15 times they’ve met, with Wisconsin covering the spread in 12 of them.

This time the booing at Camp Randall Stadium will be a reaction to the football, not the sounds of the Halloween season.

Parlay: Penn State -4.5 vs. Minnesota and Baylor -8 vs. Kansas

Minnesota and Kansas had nice starts to their seasons. But the Gophers have hit the proverbial wall, and the Jayhawks will follow them into it after finally experiencing defeat last week.

Now if you’ll excuse Hlastradamus, he has to buy a new suit for the wedding or funeral or yacht-christening he’s attending next Saturday.