2019 Holiday Bowl: USC Trojans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Odds & Game Pick

by Christopher Feery |
Dec 25, 2019

Fridayâ€™s College Football Bowl Game slate is highlighted by a meeting of two top-25 programs in primetime. The USC Trojans will square off with the Iowa Hawkeyes at this yearâ€™s edition of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.

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Details

Opening Lines: This line opened up at Iowa -2.5, but has since dropped to 2 points.
Current Line: Iowa -2
O/U: 51.5
Location: San Diego County Credit Union Stadium, San Diego, CA
Start Time: Friday, Dec. 27 at 8 PM ET
Television: FS1
Last Meeting: January 2, 2003 â€“ USC picked up a 38-17 win over Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

Overview

After opening up the year with a mark of 3-3, the Trojans managed to turn things around and close the season out with a record of 8-4. Head coach Clay Helton was on the hot seat after the tough start, but he and the program answered the bell while winning five of their final six games. The teamâ€™s lone defeat over that span came at home to Oregon, the squad that would go on to take the Pac-12 crown.

The team went 2-3 versus programs ranked in the top 25 this season, with the other defeat coming in OT on the road at BYU. Kedon Slovis took over at quarterback for an injured J.T. Daniels and went on to have a solid season with 28 touchdowns versus nine picks. The Trojans couldnâ€™t get much going on the ground this season with an average of 126.3 rushing yards per game, while the defense allowed opponents an average of 27.8 points per contest.

The Hawkeyes entered 2019 with the goal of taking down the Big Ten West. They came up short in that regard, but the club was among those in the hunt until the very end. Iowa opened up the season with four straight wins, but the streak was snapped with back-to-back defeats to Michigan and Penn State. The two losses to ranked Big Ten foes came by a combined total of 12 points and dropped the record to 4-2.

The club bounced back and closed out the year strong with wins in five of the last six, but the defeat over that span would prove costly. They dropped a 24-22 road decision to Wisconsin, the club which would go on to take down the Big Ten West. Iowa was excellent on defense this season while holding opponents to an average of 13.2 points per game. However, the offense was anemic as the team only managed to post 23.8 per contest.

Trends

USC is 6-5-1 ATS this season.
Iowa is 5-7 ATS this season.
The total has gone over in seven of USCâ€™s 12 games this season.
The total has gone under in eight of Iowaâ€™s 12 games this season.
USC is 1-3 SU as an underdog this season.
Iowa is 9-0 SU as a favorite this season.

Prop Bet

USC Under 25 Points (-110)
Through 12 games, the high-water mark for Hawkeyes opponents is 24 points. Wisconsin and Nebraska both managed to hit that number versus Iowa, but the 10 other opponents on the schedule were held to 20 points or less. While the team wasnâ€™t able to get much going on offense in 2019, the defense proved to be a matchup nightmare for many. The Trojans are going to have a hard time putting points on the board at the Holiday Bowl.

Bottom Line

A meeting of Pac-12 and Big Ten schools that closed out the season playing well makes for a fine way to spend a Friday evening. The USC offense finished up strong with 124 total points while the team closed out the year with three straight wins. However, theyâ€™ll be running headfirst into an Iowa defense that is among the best units in the nation. The Hawkeyes cap off the season with a win and cover.

The Pick: Iowa (-2)