Editor's note: The Music City Bowl has been cancelled due to COVID-19 issues with Missouri.
The Music City Bowl will take place on December 30 as the Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Missouri Tigers at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
NCAA odds have Iowa installed as a 14-point favorite but the X-factor in college football betting this year has reared its ugly head once again, with positive COVID-19 results creating havoc for the Hawkeyes.
We try to make sense of the COVID-19 chaos as we break down the odds with our best free picks and predictions for Iowa vs. Missouri at the Music City Bowl on Wednesday, December 30, with kickoff at 4 p.m. ET.
Music City Bowl: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Missouri Tigers Betting Preview
Weather
It could be a wet and messy evening at Nissan Stadium with temperatures between 45 and 62 degrees, winds reaching up to 13 mph and a 46 percent chance of rain. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
Iowa: Ihmir Smith-Marsette WR (Questionable).
Missouri: Jalen Knox WR (Questionable), Nick Bolton LB (Out), Larry Borom OL (Out), Jarvis Ware CB (Questionable).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Hawkeyes are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. Find more NCAA betting trends for Iowa vs. Missouri.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The big problem for Iowa is its relative lack of preparation after a COVID-19 outbreak forced the Hawkeyes to stop practicing for 11 days following their regular-season finale. They resumed practice on Saturday and plan to practice on Sunday and Monday before departing for Nashville on Tuesday.
On the other hand, Missouri will have the benefit of practicing twice – on-site at Nissan Stadium – before gameday.
Is that enough to consider backing the Tigers as 14-point underdogs? We're not so sure, especially when you consider that the Tigers finished the regular season with a 5-5 record and each of their five losses came by at least 19 points.
Missouri's last three victories came against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and South Carolina, who combined to go just 5-24 SU this year. Meanwhile, Iowa closed their regular season with six straight wins and a 5-1 ATS mark.
The Hawkeyes have a strong running game based around running backs Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent, while their defense has been one of the best in the country, holding foes to just 16 points per game. Take the Hawkeyes to win and cover.
PREDICTION: Iowa -14 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
Forget about the usual reputation of the SEC as a defensive-focused conference: this season has seen some shootouts and Missouri has been involved in a few of them.
The Tigers have surrendered at least 48 points in each of their last three games and will be missing their best defensive player in Butkus Award finalist Nick Bolton, who will skip the bowl game.
Thankfully for Tigers fans, Missouri's offense has kept them competitive. Led by quarterback Connor Bazelak, Missouri ranks 32nd in the nation in passing yards and has scored at least 32 points in three of its previous four contests.
With Iowa averaging 31.8 ppg and going above the total in five of its last six bowl games, take the Over on a relatively low 48.5-point total on Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Over 48.5 (-110)
Music City Bowl: Iowa vs Missouri Betting Card
- Iowa -14 (-110)
- Over 48.5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s Music City Bowl: Iowa vs. Missouri picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on College Football Bowl Games?
You can bet on college football bowl game odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
