Kentucky vs. Iowa Odds, Picks, Opt-Out Tracker for the Music City Bowl
Kentucky vs. Iowa Odds, Picks, Opt-Out Tracker for the Music City Bowl
Kentucky vs. Iowa Start Time and Where to Watch- Music City Bowl
- Date: Saturday, December 31, 2022
- Start Time: 12:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ABC
Kentucky vs. Iowa Odds
- Spread: Iowa -2.5 (-110), Kentucky +2.5 (-109)
- Total Points: O/U 31 (-110)
- Moneyline: Iowa (-140), Kentucky (+120)
Click here for Kentucky vs. Iowa odds
The Kentucky Wildcats will face the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Music City Bowl on Saturday in Tennessee. Iowa finished the season 7-5 but lost its most recent game to Nebraska, 24-17. That kept Iowa out of the Big Ten Championship game.
Meanwhile, Kentucky also finished at 7-5 but lost three of their last five games to finish in the middle of the SEC.
There are a ton of different opt-outs and injuries that will keep many players out of this game. That's the unfortunate part of bowl games. The stats and records that you saw throughout the season don't truly apply to most of these bowl games.
Neither team will have their starting quarterbacks. But that probably hurts Kentucky more than Iowa.
Here are our picks, predictions, and opt-outs for Saturday's game between the Kentucky Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes in the Music City Bowl.
Kentucky vs. Iowa Odds - Music City Bowl
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | -2.5 | -135 | O 31 |
| Kentucky | +2.5 | +115 | U 31 |
Oddsmakers are predicting a low-scoring game. Iowa's defense allowed just 14.4 points per game this season. Meanwhile, the offense only scored 17.4 points per game.
The Hawkeyes will likely roll with a third-string quarterback, Joey Labas, who has never thrown a pass in college football. Therefore, it's very unlikely that Iowa scores a high amount of points.
But if we're being realistic, any quarterback playing instead of Spencer Petras is probably going to be better. Petras had just five passing touchdowns all season with 1,725 yards. However, backup quarterback Alex Padilla will transfer, leaving Labas as the starter.
On the other hand, Kentucky's going to be without Will Levis, who is likely going to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft this upcoming season. They'll also play without running back Chris Rodriguez, who had a tremendous college career with the Wildcats as a running back.
It's likely that Kaiya Sheron gets the start. He went 15-for-27 this season with 178 yards and two touchdowns when he faced South Carolina.
But the reality is, Sheron or Destin Wade, another Kentucky quarterback, won't have the opportunity to start next year. The Wildcats added North Carolina State quarterback, Devin Leary as a transfer.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction
This was going to be a fun game. But due to all of the opt-outs, the offenses will likely be silent.
Iowa has more playmakers still available. They'll have Sam LaPorta at tight end and Cooper DeJean at cornerback heading into Saturday's game. Those two are true leaders and ultimately captains of the program.
Therefore, I like Iowa to escape in a low-scoring game. But to play it safe, I'll just take the Under. Iowa's ultimately inept at scoring while Kentucky's lost a ton of talent due to opt-outs and transfers.
- Kentucky vs. Iowa Prediction: Under 31 (-110) (Bet $100 to collect $190) Get the best odds, available at DraftKings
Kentucky vs. Iowa Opt-Out Tracker
Opt-Outs
- QB Alex Padilla (Transfer portal)
- RB Gavin Williams (Transfer portal)
- WR Arland Bruce IV (Transfer portal)
- WR Keagan Johnson (Transfer portal)
- OL Josh Volk (Transfer portal)
- LB Jestin Jacobs (Transfer portal)
- CB Terry Roberts (Transfer portal)
- S Reggie Bracy (Transfer portal)
- S Kaevon Merriweather (Opt-out)
Iowa Opt-Outs
- QB Will Levis (Opt-out)
- RB Chris Rodriguez (Opt-out)
- RB Kavosiey Smoke (Transfer portal)
- WR Chris Lewis (Transfer portal/Injury)
- WR Chauncey Magwood (Transfer portal)
- WR DeMarcus Harris (Transfer portal)
- TE Keaton Upshaw (Transfer portal)
- OG John Young (Transfer portal)
- OT Kiyaunta Goodwin (Transfer portal)
- CB Carrington Valentine (Opt-out)
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Jason grew up an avid sports fan. His passion for sports writing grew in high school and he developed a blog that was strictly for New York Sports. From his work, you will quickly realize that he loves looking at games from an analytical and numbers perspective and hopes to provide you with that same perspective in his articles.