The No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3) and the No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) play on New Year's Day in the 2024 Citrus Bowl. Tennessee will be without a handful of key players as quarterback Joe Milton III and running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small have all opted out, while defensive back Tamarion McDonald and defensive end Tyler Baron are some of the defenders who have departed via the transfer portal. Meanwhile, star cornerback Cooper DeJean (lower leg) is sidelined due to injury for the Hawkeyes. Iowa has gone 18-16-1 in bowl games. On the other side, Tennessee is 4-1 in its last five bowl contests.
Kickoff from Camping World Stadium in Orlando is set for 1 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Tennessee odds, while the over/under for total points is 36 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Tennessee vs. Iowa picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model enters bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Iowa and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Iowa vs. Tennessee:
- Iowa vs. Tennessee spread: Volunteers -5.5
- Iowa vs. Tennessee over/under: 36 points
- Iowa vs. Tennessee money line: Volunteers -222, Hawkeyes +181
- TENN: Tennessee is 5-1 in its last six games played in January
- IOWA: Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last six games
- Iowa vs. Tennessee picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Iowa vs. Tennessee live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Iowa can cover
Iowa's pass defense was stellar throughout the year. The Hawkeyes ranked fourth in the Big Ten in pass defense (172.2). Senior defensive back Sebastian Castro is an active defender on the back end. Castro tackles well and owns good ball skills in coverage. The Illinois native was third on the team in total tackles (61) but first in pass deflections (8) and interceptions (3).
In the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan, Castro finished with nine tackles and one pass breakup. Junior running back Leshon Williams is a big part of the offense. Williams can be a downhill runner and has very good short-area quickness. The Illinois native logged 164 carries for 804 yards and 4.9 yards per rush. He's gone over 100-plus rushing yards in three games in 2023. See which team to pick here.
Why Tennessee can cover
Tennessee's defense is dealing with some absences, but the Vols have a great chance to limit an Iowa offense that has struggled to score this season. The Vols have been able to consistently generate pressure, ranking fourth in the SEC in team sacks (36). Sophomore defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. is an explosive edge rusher with violent hands who leads the team in sacks (8.5) and 24 total tackles. Pearce Jr. has registered a sack in six games this season.
On the other side of the ball, the Vols could be energized by quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The highly-touted freshman was impressive in limited action this season and he's looking to get a jump on preparing to take over full-time starting duties during the 2024 season. The backfield is a bit depleted, but talented sophomore Dylan Sampson is plenty capable of handling the lead back role. Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton are experienced options at receiver. See which team to pick here.
How to make Iowa vs. Tennessee picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 39 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Tennessee vs. Iowa, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Iowa vs. Tennessee spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
