Tennessee (7-5) vs Indiana (8-4)
When: Thursday, January 2nd 2020
Where: TIAA Bank Field,
Jacksonville, FL
Time: 7:00 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Pickem/48.5
It’s been a while since the Tennessee Volunteers and Indiana Hoosiers have been to a bowl game and they’ll get each other in this year’s edition of the Gator Bowl on January 2nd. The Vols have won three straight bowl games – all versus Big Ten opponents – and beat Iowa 45-28 here in Jacksonville in 2014. The 2016 Foster Farms Bowl saw the Hoosiers lose 26-24 to Utah under the direction of interim – now head coach – Tom Allen. Tennessee’s season didn’t start out very well, as they lost to Georgia State and BYU in going 1-4, but pulled an upset of Mississippi State before falling as expected to Alabama. Since that loss, the Vols have reeled-off five consecutive victories and are +101 yards per game during the streak. The Hoosiers won three of their first four with the lone loss coming to Ohio State, then won four of five before stumbling to a 1-2 finish. The teams last played each other in the 1988 Peach Bowl with the Volunteers coming away with a 27-22 victory as six-point favorites.
Tennessee’s winning streak has been led by quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who has eight touchdowns and two interceptions during that span. Guarantano will be without top target Jauan Jennings after the SEC suspended him for the first half of the bowl game after he stepped on the face of Vanderbilt punt returner Justice Shelton-Mosley during a sideline incident in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale. Jennings was not penalized during the game, but the SEC assessed a flagrant personal foul and suspension after a postgame video review. Guarantano completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 1,937 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions on the season, while Jennings caught 57 passes for 942 yards and eight touchdowns. Defensively, the Volunteers rank 27th in FBS overall (337.1) and an impressive 16th against the pass (191.2), while allowing 21 points or less in five straight games.
Indiana has a chance to win nine games for the first time since 1967 and this is the best defense the Hoosiers have had in years. It’s not dominant, but is vastly improved from last year’s squad that allowed 29.9 points and 424 yards a game. Indiana ranks 36th in FBS in yards allowed (350.7) and 46th in points (24.5) but surrendered an average of 38 points in the final three contests. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey took over early for the injured Michael Penix and passed for 2,227 yards with 13 touchdowns in 10 games. His top top target is Whop Philyor, who caught 69 passes for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns, while running back Stevie Scott III has rushed for 845 yards and 10 touchdowns with a 4.5 average per carry.
Both teams should be pretty motivated for this game and while the Vols are playing better, I like this Indiana team. They play well against teams with winning records, going 6-2 ATS in their last eight.
Pick: Indiana +2.5 (Jay Cooper’s Free Bowl Picks)
Betting Trends:
Hoosiers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Hoosiers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
Hoosiers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Hoosiers are 6-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Hoosiers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
Hoosiers are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games on grass.
Hoosiers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.
Hoosiers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Big Ten.
Volunteers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Volunteers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games as a favorite.
Volunteers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Bowl games as a favorite.
Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in January.
Volunteers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games.
Volunteers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
Volunteers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as a favorite.
Over is 4-0 in Hoosiers last 4 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
Over is 5-0 in Hoosiers last 5 games as an underdog.
Under is 5-0 in Hoosiers last 5 non-conference games.
Over is 4-0 in Hoosiers last 4 games on grass.
Over is 5-1 in Hoosiers last 6 games overall.
Over is 5-1 in Hoosiers last 6 games following a straight up win.
Over is 9-2 in Hoosiers last 11 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
Under is 4-1 in Hoosiers last 5 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
Over is 5-2 in Hoosiers last 7 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 42-19-1 in Hoosiers last 62 vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-0 in Volunteers last 4 games overall.
Under is 4-0 in Volunteers last 4 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
Under is 6-0 in Volunteers last 6 games following a straight up win.
Over is 4-0 in Volunteers last 4 bowl games as a favorite.
Over is 8-0 in Volunteers last 8 neutral site games as a favorite.
Over is 5-0 in Volunteers last 5 bowl games.
Over is 5-0 in Volunteers last 5 Bowl games.
Over is 9-1 in Volunteers last 10 neutral site games.
Under is 5-1 in Volunteers last 6 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Volunteers last 6 games on grass.
Under is 4-1 in Volunteers last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 7-2 in Volunteers last 9 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
Under is 6-2 in Volunteers last 8 games following a ATS loss.
Over is 8-3 in Volunteers last 11 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
Under is 8-3 in Volunteers last 11 non-conference games.
Under is 5-2 in Volunteers last 7 games as a favorite.
