Insight Bowl: No. 14 Missouri Tigers (10-2) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5)
Date: Tuesday, December 28th, 2010
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
The Champs Sports Bowl isn’t the only college football betting action for Dec. 28. The Insight Bowl between Missouri and Iowa is on the same day. Missouri is coming off one of its best seasons in recent history and is playing in its sixth straight bowl game. The Tigers would have played in the Big 12 championship game if it weren’t for consecutive losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech. They ended the season with three straight wins.
Iowa is on the other end of the spectrum. The Hawkeyes started the season ranked ninth in the nation, but they lost three of their last four games to finish fourth in the Big Ten. That was in part due to the arrest of their best receiver and benching of their top running back. All-Big Ten receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested on drug charges on Dec. 7. The senior is suspended and had 745 yards with a career-best 10 touchdowns this season. Then, sophomore running back Adam Robinson was benched for failing to comply with team expectations and policies. He had 941 yards and 10 touchdowns. Missouri has one of the nation’s top defenses so it doesn’t bode well for the Hawkeyes.
My Pick: Missouri is the easy pick here, even though the point spread suggests otherwise. Where will Iowa get any offense? I’m backing Missouri to win 28-17.
Money Line (odds provided by Eurobet)
Missouri: 5/6
Iowa: 5/6
Point Spread: Missouri -1
Over/Under: 47