How To Bet On Iowa

The University of Iowa has one of the oldest football programs in the country, dating back to as early as the 1800s. With having such a long-standing tradition of the sport, this means generations of fans, alumni, and supporters already have a vested interest in the program. Even though Hawkeye fans may not need an extra reason to keep their eyes glued to the TV every Saturday in the Fall, betting on them to win makes it all the more exciting. Legal sports betting has quickly started to spread state by state and has reached the Hawkeye State, which is why many are wondering how to bet on Iowa.

Now that there are physical locations to bet on the Hawkeyes, sportsbooks in Davenport, sportsbooks in Des Moines, and other city’s with established racetracks and gaming facilities are hubs for this activity. Although, there were already alternate means for how to bet on Iowa. This comes through the form of online offshore sportsbooks. Websites such as MyBookie, Sportsbetting, BetOnline, and Bovada, accept members fr om Iowa and give betting lines for their games almost every week during football season. These sites are legal due to the lack of their mention in state laws and offer every major wagering type.

But, before you start making deposits to these sites, we believe it is best for you to understand these fundamental wagering types and how they will affect you when betting on Iowa. We’ll also cover what makes these online sportsbooks the best choice when betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Best Sites For Wagering On Iowa

Even with land-based sportsbooks allowed in Iowa, your betting options for sports betting in Iowa are increased with online offshore sportsbooks. We have mentioned a few of these options throughout this guide, but there are two in particular that we believe to be the best sites for wagering on Iowa. These include Bovada and SportsBetting. Each of them is highly regarded within the sportsbook industry but we feel the need to break each one of them down so you know why exactly that is.

Best Iowa Sports Betting Sites - 100% Trusted + Safe

Types Of Wagers You Can Place On Iowa

Essentially, there are 3 major types of odds that are placed for almost any football game. These include Moneylines, point spreads, and totals bets. These will appear any time there are betting odds for Iowa and lay the foundation for almost every other type of bet available. After reading the next few sections you should be well equipped and well prepared to make the wager of your choice.

Betting On Iowa Straight Up

The most basic form of betting you can partake in is betting on Iowa straight up. In this bet you are simply choosing who you think will win, no matter what the final score is. The favorite to win the game will be shown to have a minus sign and the underdog is shown to have a plus sign. What the numbers next to the team indicate represent the potential payout percentage for your pick. If you choose Iowa you would have to bet 170 dollars just to win 100 dollars, whereas if you choose Wisconsin you only have to bet 100 dollars to win 150 dollars. This incentivizes bettors to take a chance and pick the underdog, that way there is an even number of bettors on both sides. It’s worth noting that 100 dollars isn’t the minimum amount you have to bet, but rather an easier way to visualize the payout percentage. The online offshore sportsbooks we recommend will let you bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes for as little as 25 cents.

Iowa Moneyline Example

• Iowa (-170)
• Wisconsin (+150)

Betting On Iowa Point Spread

Point spread betting on Iowa is only slightly different than the money line bet. In this wagering type, you’re considering the final score of the game. The favorite to win the game will have to do so by a certain amount of points to win the bet, while the underdog can either win the game outright or simply not lose the game by a certain amount of points to win the bet. In the example we provided below, if you chose Iowa you are saying that not only will they win but they will do so by more than 14 points. The payouts are always listed right next to the point spread so that you know how much you’d get in return for either choice you make. These bets are great for when you have a lot of confidence in a certain outcome before the game starts.

Iowa Point Spread Example

• Iowa -14 (-110)
• Penn State +14 (-110)

Betting On Iowa Over/Under

Betting on the Over/Under for Iowa is great when you’re not sure who is going to win or lose a game. In this wagering type, the only aspect of the game that matters is the combined total score from both teams either going over or under the amount set by the sportsbook. If you think Iowa’s next matchup is going to be a shootout then you can bet the over. If you believe it’s going to be a more defensive game then you can bet the under. In the example listed below, you can see that betting the over would result in a potentially higher payout. Although knowing how Big 10 football is usually played, the more likely scenario might be fewer points scored.

Iowa Over/Under Example

• Over 47 Points (+150)
• Under 47 Points (-130)

Iowa Player Prop Bets

Iowa Player Prop bets don’t consider the final results of a game at all. Instead, they focus on an individual players performance in a certain matchup. This type of bet is great if you recognize that an Iowa wide receiver may outmatch a certain cornerback or if an Iowa running back is going up against a defense that hasn’t been able to stop the run all season. Player prop bets for Iowa may be harder to find if the game is not as meaningful, but they will certainly be found for conference matchups and bowl games.

Iowa Player Prop Example

Total Number Of Running Back Rushing Yards Vs. Minnesota

• Over 150.5 Yards (-170)
• Under 150.5 Yards (+150)

Iowa Team Prop Bets

When looking at team prop bets for Iowa you will notice many similarities to a player prop bet. This type of bet is also not concerned with the total score or final outcome of a game but rather a team’s performance in a certain area of the game. The example below represents how many interceptions Iowa’s defense will make throughout the game and gives no regard to who exactly picks the ball off. It could be four different players or simply one player, it is just considering the defensive unit as a whole.

Iowa Team Prop Example

Iowa Will Make 4 Interceptions

• Over (+400)
• Under (-300)

Using Your Smartphone To Bet On Iowa

As smartphones continue to advance, more people will use them as their main source to surf the web. Online offshore sportsbooks such as Bovada, Sportsbetting, MyBookie, and BetOnline, have fully bought into this concept which is why they have created mobile-friendly versions of their sites. Some of them even offer apps that you can download straight from their site so that you can have even easier access to all of their latest Iowa Hawkeye betting lines. This is especially convenient for college football fans tailgating outside of Kinnick Stadium and looking to place a last-minute wager. These sites are also available on your mobile tablet if you want to see the latest odds from there. All you need is an internet connection and you’ll be able to put action on almost every game you could think of anywhere and any time of the day.

Live In Game Betting On Iowa

Live betting, or in-game wagering, is the fastest growing and most exciting way to bet on Iowa nowadays. With this feature the betting opportunities don’t end when the game starts, rather they begin. You can put action on key aspects of the game as the match is unfolding in real time. That means if you think Iowa is going to go for it on fourth and inches then you can bet on it. If you think the Hawkeyes are in a position to make a safety then you can bet on that as well. These odds are constantly updated and shift throughout the game so you have to be quick in order to catch the betting line that you want. Sportsbetting, BetOnline, MyBookie, and Bovada all offer live in-game betting on Iowa and will even let you access it straight from your smartphone.

Betting On Iowa FAQs

Is Betting On College Football Online Legal?

According to the state of Iowa’s gambling laws, it is in fact legal to bet on college football online. This can either be through mobile sports wagering platforms operated within the state or for online offshore sportsbooks. There are no direct penalties set for individuals who use these sites, rather, the penalties are placed on individuals who try to operate their own sportsbooks. Federal laws also don’t prohibit users of online sports betting sites licensed by your state government or so long as they are based outside of the US. This is because federal laws have no jurisdiction over the actions of businesses located overseas. This means that sites such as MyBookie, BetOnline, Bovada, and Sportsbetting are all safe to use and are the only way to avoid trouble with the law. Although, one important aspect to note is that Iowans are not allowed to take part in prop bets that involve collegiate players that play in the state. This law is mainly enforced on online sports betting sites that the state is in charge of.

What’s The Safest Way To Deposit Into An Iowa Sportsbook?

By far the safest way to deposit into an online offshore sportsbook is to use Bitcoin – the dominant entry in the now-crowded cryptocurrency field. The great advantage of making deposits using Bitcoin is that this method completely negates the harmful impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). Federal laws like the UIGEA placed prohibitions on US financial institutions that made it difficult at best and impossible at worst to use a credit card to make deposits when bankrolling your betting shop account, but Bitcoin isn’t subject to any form of governmental regulation.

However, once mobile sportsbooks in Iowa are launched, they most likely won’t be able to use Bitcoin. Instead, you will more than likely be able to use a credit or debit card to safely fund your account. If mobile sports wagering apps in Iowa follow the direction of the ones operating in New Jersey, they will also have Netteller, Skrill, or PayPal available for you to make transactions. But, given the fact that you need to go to a land-based sports betting venue just to register to use a state-commissioned app, they may also require that you go there in order to fund your account as well. Once they launch and we can collect more information from there we will surely update our answer to this question.

Can I Sign Up At More Than One Online Sports Betting Site?

Yes, and as a matter of a fact, it is widely encouraged. The reason being is that not every sports betting site will post the same odds for the same game. Some may have the Hawkeyes favored by three points while others may have them favored by five. While that may seem like a small difference in numbers, the impact that could have for a sports bettor’s chance of covering the spread could be substantial. Signing up to multiple sites allows you to choose the bets you feel most comfortable with and will allow you to win the most per bet. All of the sites we recommend will allow you to join for free and view their lines at any time.

Online Sportsbooks Promote Bitcoin, But Is It Safe To Use?

Absolutely, and for many users, it is their preferred method to make deposits and withdrawals. Since Bitcoin is decentralized, there are no banks that stand in the way of the transaction taking place. This means that your deposits are made faster and collecting your winnings can be done in less than 24 hours. Some online sports betting sites will even provide you with a guide as to how to make a Bitcoin account and how to use it in order to capitalize on this payment method.

Do Online Sportsbooks Offer Odds On Every Iowa Game?

True Hawkeye fans are going to be tuned in every Saturday during the fall, no matter what opponent they’re facing off against. However, sometimes Iowa will schedule opponents from less prominent schools or will be in a matchup against a team that is too one-sided for the bookies at SportsBetting, BetOnline, Bovada or MyBookie to feel comfortable listing odds. This isn’t a common occurrence, but it does happen frequently enough that a smart bettor will be aware of it. Nevertheless, if you want to bet on Iowa, there will almost always be futures odds offered on the Big 10 Conference Championship, for instance.