Odds & Trends: Citrus Bowl

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Picking a side in bowl games can be a chore. You're tasked with gauging the interest level of college kids.

Proceed with caution. Flip a coin.

The Citrus Bowl might feature teams that look most like their regular-season selves. Iowa and Kentucky are invested in finishing with a flourish.

Of course, keep an eye on any potential COVID-19 absences. The virus is impacting the sport's postseason.

Here's a closer look at the championship game from a gambling perspective:

Point Spreads: The game opened with Iowa as a 1.5-point favorite at Vegas Insider (VI). The number sat at the Hawkeyes +3.0 as of Thursday morning, according to the VI consensus.

Circa, Caesars, Points Bet, Super Book, BetMGM, Fan Duel and Draft Kings all showed the Hawkeyes at +3.0.

If you're shopping locally, Elite Sportsbook in Riverside, Iowa, had it at Iowa +3.0.

Money Lines: The VI consensus opened with Iowa +120 and Kentucky -140. Iowa's number moved to +125 as of Thursday morning with Kentucky at -145. Caesars and Circa were the high on the Hawkeyes at +130 with BetMGM the lowest on the Hawkeyes at +115. BetMGM is the low on the Wildcats (-135), and Fan Duel the high (-154).

Locally, Elite showed Iowa at +125 and Kentucky at -145.

Over/Under: Also referred to as "the total", this number represents the amount of combined points scored by the two teams. As of Thursday morning, VI consensus puts it at 44.0, down from a 45.0 open. Super Book was at 44.5, Circa showed 43.5 and the rest of the books in the consensus came in at 44.0.

Locally, Elite had it at 44.0.

Public Percentages Wagered: Books track the percentages of bets placed on each team in a given game.

As of Thursday morning, 59 percent of the wagers were made on the Wildcats, according to ActionNetwork.com, which showed the point spread as Iowa +3.0.

These percentages often shift as the game draws closer. The "sharps" (professional gamblers) frequently come in late with their bets.

Kentucky Trends

-Wildcats are 10-2 Against The Spread (ATS) in their last 12 non-conference games.

-Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 vs. Big Ten.

-Wildcats are 21-7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.

-Kentucky is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games as a favorite.

-Wildcats are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games as a favorite.

-Over is 4-1 in Kentucky's last 5 games overall.

-Under is 5-2 in Wildcats' last 7 bowl games.

Iowa Trends

-Hawkeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.

-Iowa is 5-2-1 ATS in its last 8 games as an underdog.

-Hawkeyes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

-Iowa is 5-2-1 ATS in its last 8 games following a ATS loss.

-Hawkeyes are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.

-Over is 4-0 in Iowa's last 4 games overall.

-Over is 5-1 in Hawkeyes last 6 bowl games.

Matchup Trends

-First-ever meeting between schools.