Florida Has an Excellent Pedigree in Bowl Games

Florida may have stumbled in the SEC championship against Alabama but will still get a shot at a major bowl, taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Raymond James Stadium in the Outback Bowl. The Gators were embarrassed by Michigan in the Citrus Bowl last year and will be highly motivated to end their season on a high note.

SHARK BITES
  • Florida is 5-2 SU and ATS in its last 7 games in January.
  • Iowa is 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in its last 4 games in the playoffs.
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games.

This is not expected to be one of the higher-scoring bowl games and actually opened at 40.5, the lowest Sportsbook total for this year’s bowl games. Florida and Iowa are tied at 10th on the list for points allowed per game at 17.9 and are both in the bottom half of teams in the points scored category.

The Gators have lost and failed to cover in two straight games but they were big underdogs in both. Florida is 7-1 this season as the favorite but is just 4-4 against the spread in those games. The Gators opened as small favorites in this matchup with an Iowa team that’s won and covered three straight games, including a 14-13 win over Michigan – they were +24 underdogs going in.

A standard rule for football betting is to take the better defense and the points but with two elite defensive squads matching up, it makes things a little tougher to gauge.

Florida Gators vs Iowa Hawkeyes Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

Supporters of the Florida Gators have seen them go 8-4 and 5-7 ATS so far this season, while the Iowa Hawkeyes are at 8-4 and 6-6 ATS. In totals betting, the Hawkeyes are 5-7, while the Gators are 4-8. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Iowa vs Florida injuries news.

According to the Power Rankings here at Odds Shark it's the No. 32-rated Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 48-rated Florida Gators in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup

Offensively, the game matches up the Iowa Hawkeyes No. 77-ranked offense (26.75 PPG) against a Florida Gators defense that ranks No. 11 at 17.92 PPG. The Iowa Hawkeyes passing attack has averaged 161.33 yards per game, more than the Florida Gators give up through the air (156.33 YPG on average).

In comparing defenses, the Florida Gators own the league's No. 72-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 203.4 yards per game when on the road. Iowa, on the other hand, rates No. 106 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

Nebraska was unable to contain LeShun Daniels in its last action Friday and the result was a 40-10 Week 13 loss against the Hawkeyes.

Betting Trends
  • Florida is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games
  • Iowa is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
  • Iowa is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
Florida is 5-2 SU and ATS in its last 7 games in January.home Iowa is 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in its last 4 games in the playoffs.away The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games.home
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