Steve Spurrier famously once said “you can’t spell Citrus without UT,” and the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers once again return to Orlando for the Citrus Bowl on Monday, January 1. They will face the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes, the Big Ten’s 2023 runners-up. Iowa’s offense was the stuff of infamy this season, but their defense confounded and frustrated teams to a point that got the Hawkeyes to Indianapolis on the first weekend of December.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET from Camping World Stadium on New Years Day.
Iowa (10-3, 7-2 B1G) fired offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz partway through the season, much to fans’ relief. The Hawkeyes defense has been severely struggling throughout the last several years, and this year was no different — the team averaged just 16.6 points per game — and even fewer offensive points. However, Iowa saved themselves and put together a 10-win season with victories over Rutgers, Illinois, and Purdue thanks to their stellar defense. The Hawkeyes allowed just 13.2 points and 274.2 yards to opponents per game. Their losses came against Michigan State, Penn State, and Michigan.
Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) will be playing without quarterback Joe Milton in the bowl game, as well as their two top running backs, Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright. All three will be heading to the 2024 NFL Draft. Freshman Nico Iamaleava will get his first start in the bowl game. The Vols had a solid season, though something of a drop-down from their 2022. They grabbed wins over Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Kentucky, and fell to Missouri, Georgia, and Alabama.
Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the bowl.
SP+ Rankings
Iowa: 36 overall, 127 offense, 2 defense
Tennessee: 19 overall, 28 offense, 31 defense
List of injuries and players opting out of game
Iowa
WR Diante Vines – Out (transfer portal)
QB Spencer Petras – Out (transfer portal)
QB Joey Labas – Out (transfer portal)
Tennessee
RB Jabari Small – Out (draft)
RB Jaylen Wright- Out (draft)
QB Joe Milton – Out (draft)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Iowa: 6-6-1 ATS
Tennessee: 6-6 ATS
Total in 2023
Iowa: Over 2-11
Tennessee: Over 6-5-1
Team Pace
Iowa: 29.1 seconds per play
Tennessee: 21 seconds per play
Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Tennessee -6
Total: 35.5
Moneyline: Tennessee -238, Iowa +195
Weather
66°F, Partly cloud, 1% chance of rain, 8 MPH winds
Our Best Bet for the Citrus Bowl
Under 35.5
It’s Iowa — we simply must bet the under! No, really — the Hawkeyes’ offense is the Hawkeyes’ offense, and Tennessee’s defense has been solid this year, so we don’t expect many points from Iowa’s side. If Milton, Small, or Wright were playing, this might be different, but since the Vols will be taking the field without three of their top offensive players, we’re betting on Iowa’s defense to keep yet another game low-scoring.