The Iowa Hawkeyes shined on defense this season. However, they were done in by a weak College Football betting offensive performance. In November, victories over Purdue, Minnesota, and Wisconsin put them over the edge for bowl eligibility. This will be the Hawkeyes’ second postseason berth in a row. Following a loss to Kentucky on New Year’s Day 2022 in the Citrus Bowl. It is the program’s 35th bowl appearance overall. Kentucky started the season with a 4-0 record and a top-10 ranking. And then lost five of the next seven. The Wildcats are going to their 22nd bowl game.
2022 Music City Bowl Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Kentucky Wildcats
| Date and Time: | Saturday, December 31, 2022, Noon ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee |
| TV Coverage: | ABC |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | -1½ (-110) | 31 (-110) | -123 |  |
| Kentucky | +1½ (-110) | 31 (-110) | +103 | |
| ||||
2022 Music City Bowl Overview
At the onset, the Music City Bowl debuted in 1998. Specifically, the matchup currently features schools from the Big Ten and the SEC. The game takes place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously the bowl was sponsored by Gaylord Hotels, HomePoint.com, and Franklin American Mortgage Company before TransPerfect.
In this situation, both schools “travel well” and will bring a large contingent of fans looking for fun in Music City. Whether the game has any online betting fireworks remains a question. To illuminate, the Hawkeyes and Wildcats are defensively oriented. Overall, there will be no betting action overload on either side. Kentucky brings SEC credentials. But Iowa’s Big Ten affiliation offsets much of that. Undertakers will look hard at the total in a matchup of low-scoring teams. As for the side, Kentucky is the more complete team.
To summarize, underdogs have won three of the last four matchups. And then the 2019 installment watched Louisville capture a 38-28 victory over Mississippi State as a short underdog. Over the total cashed with a late push and is on a 3-0 run in this bowl matchup. Correlate that Kentucky has made the most appearances in this bowl with six. Following UK is Minnesota, with three visits to Nashville since 2002. In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic wiped out the game. The bowl returned on Dec. 30, 2021, and it was worth the two-year.
2022 Music City Bowl Matchup
Last game, the Kentucky Wildcats won 26-13 against the Louisville Cardinals as 3.5-point home favorites. The game went under the College Football Betting total of 42.5. Kentucky has a record of 7-5 straight up, 8-4 against the spread, and 1-11 over/under the total.
Overall, Kentucky has national metrics of 106th for total offense, 88th for passing, 102nd for rushing, and 106th for scoring. Defensively they rank 18th overall, 7th against the pass, 59th against the rush, and 12th for points allowed. Also, Kentucky ranks 46th for fewest turnovers lost and 67th for takeaways.
Last game, the Iowa Hawkeyes lost 24-17 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers as an 11-point home favorite. The game went over the total of 38. Iowa has a record of 7-5 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 4-8 over/under the total.
To show, Iowa has national metrics of 130th for total offense, 122nd for passing, 121st for rushing, and 123rd for scoring. Defensively they rank 5th overall, 9th against the pass, 13th against the rush, and 6th for points allowed. Also, Iowa ranks 104th for fewest turnovers lost and 21st for takeaways.
2022 Music City Bowl Best Bet: Kentucky Wildcats.