USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton has only won one bowl game in three tries so far since taking over the gig for the team, but he’s got a chance to add another win when they lock horns with the Iowa Hawkeyes who are looking to win their third bowl game in a row. The sportsbook is calling this a close one, favoring Iowa by just 2-points heading into Friday “Holiday” affair.
Betting on the USC Trojans (8-4 Overall / 7-2 Conference)
The form Trojans quarterback Kedon Slavis is on right now is up there with that of the elites in the nation. Make no mistake about it. Slovis isn’t on the level of Jalen Hurts and/or Joe Burrow, but get a load of this: over his last three starts, Slovis managed to throw 12 touchdowns against just an interception. In each game, he passed for at least 406 yards. Slovis will also not have to worry about not having the Trojans’ best downfield weapons, as wide receiver Michael Pittman is reportedly going to play in the Holiday Bowl. Pittman is a gifted receiver who leads the Trojans with 1,222 receiving yards to go with 12 touchdown catches on the season. The Trojans’ passing attack can be unstoppable, as evidenced by the fact that it is third in the nation in completion percentage and fifth in passing yards per game.
The Trojans are averaging 33.2 points per game and are 3-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last three games.
Betting on the Iowa Hawkeyes (9-3 Overall / 6-3 Conference)
The Hawkeyes have momentum heading into the Holiday Bowl, as they have won all of their last three games. That stretch includes a 23-19 win at home over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in which their rushing attack made quite a difference. Hawkeyes running back Tyler Goodson rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while as a team, Iowa had 225 rushing yards on just 31 carries for a fantastic 7.3 yards per carry. The Hawkeyes could try the same approach against USC, which doesn’t have an imposing defense against the run, as the Trojans are allowing close to 170 rushing yards per game. The Trojans are also not great in forcing turnovers, while the Hawkeyes are among the best when it comes to taking care of the ball, so expect Iowa to win the possession battle in this matchup. The Hawkeyes are committing just 1.0 turnover per game, 13th-fewest in the NFL.
The Hawkeyes are 3-2 ATS in their last five games overall.
