The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Kentucky Wildcats are on a collision course, as they meet on the very first day of 2022 at the Citrus Bowl down in Orlando. Check out our preview of this intriguing Big Ten-SEC showdown.
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Betting Preview for the Iowa Hawkeyes vs Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Vrbo Citrus Bowl College Football Game on January 1, 2022
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando
When: Saturday, January 1, 2022, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Iowa Hawkeyes (+3) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (-3) – view all 2021 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes (+3)
Record: 10-3 Overall / 7-2 Conference
When you talk about defense on the college level, the Hawkeyes have got to be part of the conversation. Iowa rode its unforgiving defense to winning 10 games this season, including seven in Big Ten play. In fact, the Hawkeyes are allowing just 19.2 points per game and fewer than 330 total yards per contest. However, the Hawkeyes got tripped up by the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Championship Game, losing to Jim Harbaugh’s team to the tune of a 42-3 score. Still, one bad loss shouldn’t ruin the entire image of Iowa, especially its defense. Iowa is tops in the nation in takeaways per game (2.3), thanks to its lethal secondary that is mostly responsible for why the Hawkeyes are no. 1 nationally in defensive interception rate.
Iowa is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games after allowing more than 40 points in its previous game.
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (-3)
Record: 9-3 Overall / 5-3 Conference
Kentucky is going for another 10-win season under head coach Mark Stoops. Under Stoops, the Wildcats have played a bowl game in each season since 2016 and have won all of the last three. The Wildcats are also looking to win a bowl and secure a 1o-win campaign for the first time since 2018. In other words, Stoops and the Wildcats have all the motivation they need to go all out at the Citrus Bowl. Kentucky’s offense has been admirable this season, as it manages to score 33.8 points per game despite being in the tough SEC. It even scored 13 points in a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs back in October. Considering how tenacious the Bulldogs’ defense is, scoring that many points against Georgia speaks a lot about Kentucky’s offense.
Kentucky, which arrives at the Citrus Bowl on the heels of a four-game win streak, has covered the spread in 10 of its last 12 meetings with non-conference teams.
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky wins, 26-23.
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