The No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3) and No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) clash in Monday's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Kickoff at Camping World Stadium in Orlando is slated for 1 p.m. ET (ABC). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Iowa vs. Tennessee odds, and make our expert'college football picks and predictions.
Iowa went 7-2 in conference play to win the Big Ten West, but were defeated in the conference title game 26-0 by the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines. They did not cover the 21.5 point spread as the underdog, and went under the 35.5 total. The Hawkeyes managed only 35 rushing yards in the loss. The Hawkeyes struggled to score all season long, averaging only 16.6 points per game. Their defense kept them in games allowing just 13.3 PPG, 3rd-best in the country.
The Volunteers finished in 3rd place at 4-4 in the difficult SEC East. They ended the regular season with a 48-24 home victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores. Tennessee failed to cover the 27-point spread but the Over (56.5) hit. Junior QB Joe Milton III, who opted of the bowl game, threw for 383 yards and 4 TDs with 2 TDs to senior WR Ramel Keyton, who had 4 catches for 122 yards. Tennessee puts up 31.6 points per game which is 31st in the country.
These 2 teams last met in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 5, 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. Tennessee won 45-28 to cover the 3-point spread as the Over 52 hit.