Iowa vs Kentucky Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Music City Bowl 2022 (Hawkeyes Defense Withstands Wildcats Attack)

Iowa vs Kentucky Game Info

2022 NCAA College Football Game — TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (7-5)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Venue: Nissan Stadium — Nashville, TN
Coverage: ABC

The 2022 NCAA college football bowl game matchups have been revealed, including the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve. The Iowa Hawkeyes will go one-on-one with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Iowa had won four games in a row before a 24-17 loss to Nebraska in the regular-season finale put an end to the Hawkeyes' run. Meanwhile, Kentucky ended its season on the opposite note, picking up a 26-13 win over Louisville.

Does Iowa have what it takes to win its fourth bowl game since 2017? Or will Kentucky be victorious, yet again, picking up its fifth straight bowl win?

Iowa vs Kentucky Odds & Spread

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: IOWA: (-122) | UK: (+102)
Spread: IOWA: -2.5 (-105) | UK: +2.5 (-115)
Total: 31.5 — Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)

Iowa enters this contest as a slight favorite on the spread and moneyline. This Music City Bowl clash also features a total of 31.5, which is the lowest of this year's bowl games.

Iowa vs Kentucky Prediction & Pick

If Iowa's going to win this game, it's going to be due to its stout defense. Before the loss to Nebraska, the Hawkeyes had allowed 13 or fewer points in four straight games. In fact, their scoring defense ranks sixth-best in the nation (15.5 PPG). They're also allowing the seventh-fewest total yards per game (292.3) as well.

Meanwhile, Kentucky's offense has been far from consistent. Not only do the Wildcats average roughly five fewer points away from home (18.0 PPG) than they do at Kroger Field, but they also have been held to exactly six points twice in the last five games.

I'm expecting Iowa to rely on its defense to slow down and frustrate Kentucky, leading to another low-scoring win for the Hawkeyes.

Final Score Prediction: Iowa: 20 | Kentucky: 17

Iowa vs Kentucky Betting Trends

- Iowa is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games.
- Kentucky is 10-4 straight up in its last 14 games against the Big Ten.
- The total has hit the over in four of Iowa's last five games in December.
- The total has hit the under in each of Kentucky's last eight games.

Iowa vs Kentucky Best Bet

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Iowa might not score a ton of points, but winning by at least a field goal shouldn't be an issue. On top of being 4-1 ATS in their last five games, the Hawkeyes have earned all seven victories this season by at least three points, averaging out to a plus-15.1 scoring margin.

Meanwhile, three of Kentucky's last four losses have been by double-digit margins. As long as Iowa's defense sticks to the game plan and doesn't give the Wildcats any room to breathe, the Hawkeyes should cover the spread at the Music City Bowl.

Bet: Iowa -2.5 (-105)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.