Iowa Hawkeyes vs Missouri Tigers Betting Pick & Prediction TransPerfect Music City Bowl

ESPN will be covering the TransPerfect Music City Bowl matchup between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Missouri Tigers, set for 2:30 ET on Monday, December 30th, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Although Missouri is technically the home team, the game is being played on a neutral site. The Tigers are 9-3 on the season, and the current point spread has them as -2.5 point favorites over the Hawkeyes, who are 8-4. The over/under line is at 43.5 points.

IOWA HAWKEYES VS MISSOURI TIGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes +2.5

This game will be played at Nissan Stadium at 2:30 ET on Monday, December 30th.

WHY BET THE IOWA HAWKEYES:

• We have the Iowa Hawkeyes winning this one by a score of 24 to 20
• Not only do we have the Iowa Hawkeyes winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +2.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 43.5 points

Can The Iowa Hawkeyes Pick Up A Win At Nissan Stadium?

Iowa enters their Week 1 matchup against Missouri with an 8-4 record. They’ve been strong at home, going 5-1, but have struggled on the road with a 2-3 mark. The Hawkeyes have been favored in 10 of their 12 games this season, posting a 7-3 record as the favorite.

Iowa’s over/under record is 8-3, with their games averaging 45.1 points. This week’s line is set at 43.5 points, and their average over/under line this season has been 40.2 points.

The Hawkeyes’ ATS record is 5-5-1, and they’ve covered the spread in three of their six home games. As the favorite, they are 5-4-1 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +10.9 points per game.

Iowa’s offense is ranked 69th in our power rankings heading into week 1, and they are 49th in points per game, averaging 28. Their strength lies in the run game, where they are 23rd in the nation with 200.6 rushing yards per game on 38.3 attempts.

Kaleb Johnson leads the rushing attack with 1,537 yards, 21 touchdowns, and an average of 6 yards per carry. Quarterback Cade McNamara has thrown for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 76.

Iowa’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 7th nationally by allowing just 17.1 points per game. Against Nebraska, they gave up only 10 points, though they allowed 20 first downs and 334 total yards, including 144 rushing yards on 43 attempts and 190 passing yards.

Opponents are averaging 118.1 rushing yards per game on 30.8 attempts against Iowa, while quarterbacks have posted a 76.6 passer rating, completing 62.6% of their passes for an average of 196.2 yards per game.

Can The Missouri Tigers Take Care Of Business On A Neutral Field?

Missouri enters Week 1 against Iowa with a 9-3 record, going 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve been favored in six games this season, winning all six, and their average scoring margin is +9 points per game.

Against the spread, Missouri is 7-3 overall, covering 4-1 at home. As favorites, they are 5-1 ATS, and they’ve gone 3-1 ATS at home when favored.

Their over/under record stands at 4-6, with Missouri games averaging 49.2 points. The average over/under line is 50 points, and this week’s line is set at 43.5 points.

Missouri’s offense heads into week 1 ranked 40th in our offensive power rankings, averaging 29.1 points per game. They have been strong on third downs, converting 46.7% of their attempts, which ranks 16th nationally. The Tigers are 25th in rushing attempts, averaging 39.9 carries per game, and they gain 172.6 rushing yards per contest.

Brady Cook leads Missouri’s passing attack with 2,248 yards and a 63.3% completion rate. He has thrown nine touchdowns with just two interceptions, and his passer rating is 94. Nate Noel has rushed for 804 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Theo Wease Jr. has 809 receiving yards on 55 catches.

Missouri’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 17th nationally by allowing just 20.1 points per game. They’ve given up an average of 134 rushing yards per game and 185.5 passing yards, which ranks 37th in the country.

In their recent game against Arkansas, Missouri’s defense allowed 21 points, giving up 148 rushing yards and 229 passing yards, but they didn’t allow a passing touchdown.