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Updating the Tennessee-Iowa Citrus Bowl betting line with Nico Iamaleava making first start

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•12/27/23•

GrantRamey

Nico Iamaleava
(Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK) Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks to pass during a NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Connecticut at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 59-3.

Tennessee opened as an eight-point Citrus Bowl favorite over Iowa little more than three weeks ago and the line at one point grew to 8.5. The line dropped as low as six Wednesday night, according to DraftKings odds, after the Vols had a change announced at quarterback.

Redshirt senior Joe Milton III announced he was opting out of the New Year’s Day bowl game and will begin preparations for the 2024 NFL Draft. That leaves the Vols with five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava set to make his first career start.

Tennessee (8-4) and Iowa (10-3) are scheduled for a 1 p.m. Eastern Time start in the Citrus Bowl on Monday at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to play well enough,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Wednesday after his team’s first on-site bowl practice in Orlando. “(Iamaleava has) got to play well enough to help us go win this football game. That’s ultimately what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Iamaleava was a five-star prospect that headlined Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class, signing with the Vols as On3’s No. 1 overall prospect in the country.

He appeared in four games this season while backing up Milton, keeping his redshirt intact while passing for 163 yards and a touchdown, completing 16 of his 26 pass attempts. He ran five times for 48 yards. 

“He’s continued to grow so much fundamentally,” Heupel said, “allowing him to play at this level. Continued to grow — consistency, fundamentals, decision making, being accurate with the football, in command of what we’re doing offensively. This will be his first opportunity to start against a really good defense, but excited to go play with him.”

No. 21 Tennessee vs. No. 17 Iowa: How To Watch

Kickoff Time: Monday, January 1, 1 p.m. Eastern Time

TV: ABC

Streaming: FuboTV

Radio: WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee. 

Location: Camping World Stadium (60,219)

Against The Spread

Tennessee dropped to 6-6 against the spread during the regular season after the 48-24 win over Vanderbilt on November 25, after entering the game as a 27-point favorite. 

The Vols covered against South Carolina (-11.5), UTSA (-23.5), Texas A&M (-3), Kentucky (-4), Virginia (-27.5) and UConn (-35) and failed to cover against Austin Peay (-48.5), at Florida (-5.5), at Alabama (+8.5), at Mizzou (-2.5) and Georgia (+10.5).

Iowa is 6-6-1 against the spread. The Hawkeyes covered against Iowa State (-3.5), Western Michigan (-28.5), Purdue (-2.5), Wisconsin (+9), Rutgers (-2) and Nebraska (+3).

They failed to cover against Utah State (+23.5), Penn State (+14), Minnesota (-3.5), Northwestern (-5), Illinois (-3) and Michigan (+22). Iowa and Michigan State pushed with the Hawkeyes as a 10-point favorite. 

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