Tennessee vs. Iowa odds, line, spread: 2024 Citrus Bowl picks, college football predictions from proven model
The 2024 Citrus Bowl features the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-3) and the No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers (8-4) linking up on New Year's Day. The Hawkeyes are looking to return to the win column to end the season. On Dec. 2, Michigan shut out Iowa 26-0 to win the Big Ten Championship Game. Meanwhile, Tennessee secured a convincing win to end the regular season, beating Vanderbilt 48-24 on Nov. 25.
Kickoff from Camping World Stadium in Orlando is set for 1 p.m. ET. The Volunteers are 6-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Tennessee odds, while the over/under for total points is 35.5 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 -6
- Iowa vs. Tennessee over/under: 35.5 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 defense was one of the top units in the Big Ten in 2023. The Hawkeyes play extremely disciplined, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring defense (13.2), total defense (274.2) and run defense (101.9). Additionally, the Hawkeyes recorded 10 interceptions and 26 team sacks. Senior linebacker Jay Higgins is an instinctive defender all across the field.
Higgins has great play recognition skills to find the ball carrier. The Indiana native is second in the nation in total tackles (155) and third in tackles per game (11.9). In his last matchup, Higgins had 14 total stops. Senior linebacker Nick Jackson moves easily in open space with range to be effective in coverage. Jackson was seventh in the Big Ten in total tackles (99) and eighth in tackles per game (7.6). See which team to pick here.
Why Tennessee can cover
The Volunteers have been hit with some opt-outs such as quarterback Joe Milton III and running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small. However, Tennessee has a pair of reliable playmakers on the outside to help out freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Sophomore receiver Squirrel White is a speedy weapon in the aerial attack. The Alabama native led the team in receptions (64) and receiving yards (764) with two scores.
In his outing against Vanderbilt, White reeled in 10 receptions for 100 yards. Senior receiver Ramel Keyton (6'3) has strong hands and consistently brings down contested catches. Keyton leads the team in receiving touchdowns (6) on 32 catches and 591 receiving yards. On Nov. 25 versus Vanderbilt, Keyton logged four receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Dylan Sampson has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his career and should be ready to take on the lead back responsibilities. 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 well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
