Iowa vs. Vanderbilt prediction, pick, odds, spread: Hawkeyes, Commodores square off in ReliaQuest Bowl
Iowa and Vanderbilt will feature a handful of award winners for Wednesday's ReliaQuest Bowl
By
Carter Bahns
•
3 min read
Postseason matchups in 2025 -- outside of the College Football Playoff matchups, of course -- do not get much more enticing than the game between No. 14 Vanderbilt and No. 23 Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. It is one of just three bowl games to pit a pair of top-25 teams against each other, and it features a handful of the best players in the country at their respective positions.
At the forefront of the matchup are two dynamic quarterbacks in Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Iowa's Mark Gronowski. Pavia finished second in Heisman Trophy voting after leading the SEC in a number of passing categories and dicing defenses with his legs, and Gronowski is the most prolific running quarterback in Hawkeyes history with his 491 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The New Year's Eve clash between the Big Ten and SEC also features two of college football's most highly respected coaches. With an Iowa victory, Kirk Ferentz would set the Big Ten record for the most bowl wins by a coach at 11, surpassing Joe Paterno. With a Vanderbilt triumph, Clark Lea would become the first Commodores coach since James Franklin to win consecutive bowl games and one of just two in program history to win multiple postseason games.
Where to watch Iowa vs. Vanderbilt live
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium -- Tampa, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Iowa vs. Vanderbilt: Need to know for ReliaQuest Bowl
Stowers opts out, Hawkeyes opt in: Consensus All-American tight end Eli Stowers will not be on the field for Vanderbilt on Wednesday. The Mackey Award winner, who set career highs this season with 62 catches and 769 yards, said this week that he will opt out of the contest to prepare for the NFL Draft, where he could be the first tight end selected. Iowa, meanwhile, enters the postseason with a full arsenal.
Awards galore: Iowa and Vanderbilt combined for five major award victories at the end of the regular season, making them two of the highest-decorated teams in the nation. In addition to his Mackey Award win, Stowers also secured the Campbell Trophy, known colloquially as the "Academic Heisman." Pavia came up just short in Heisman Trophy voting but did secure the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. And on the Iowa side, center Logan Jones took home the Rimington Trophy and the entire offensive line was recognized with the Joe Moore Award.
Unstoppable force vs. immovable object: The traditionally stout Iowa defense upheld its standard in 2025 as the No. 7-ranked unit in scoring, total yardage and pass yardage. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, boasts the No. 8 scoring offense and is top-13 in total yardage and passing offense. Something has to give when the Commodores possess the ball.
Iowa vs. Vanderbilt prediction, picks
Iowa has not lost a game by more than five points this season, so the 4.5-point spread should be a manageable one to cover. But because of Vanderbilt's dominance offensively, the total is the more enticing play. Nine of the Commodores' 12 regular-season games went over this 47.5-point mark, and the offense scored exactly 45 points on its own in each of its last three outings. Iowa has arguably not received enough credit for its scoring ability this year and can hold up its end of the bargain in sending this one over the total. Both defenses will have their hands full with mobile quarterbacks, and don't rule out a special teams touchdown from Iowa's Kaden Wetjen. Pick: Over 47.5
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