Orange Bowl Betting Odds

Point Spread: Yellow Jackets -5.5 / Hawkeyes +5.5 O/U 51

Time: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 on FOX

In the Orange Bowl the Iowa Hawkeyes and their solid defense take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and their awesome rushing offense. The Yellow Jackets have the 2nd ranked rushing offense averaging 307.2 yards per game on the ground. Iowa does have a solid defense, but they are better defending the pass than the run. This season was Tech's first outright ACC title since 1990. This season they were 2-1 against teams ranked in the top 25. Iowa won their last game of the season, but had lost their previous two and that killed their chances of playing in the BCS title game. This season Iowa was 1-1 against ranked teams.

In their last games of the season Georgia Tech beat Clemson 39-34 and Iowa beat Minnesota 12-0.

This season Georgia Tech was 8-4 ATS and Iowa was 7-3-1 ATS.

Georgia Tech ranked 11th in the nation on offense and they are led by QB Josh Nesbitt (1,689 yds 10 TD 4 INT), who also is the 2nd leading rusher on the Yellow Jackets (991 yds 18 TD). He can air it out, especially to big play WR Demaryius Thomas (46 rec 1,154 yds 8 TD), who averaged an impressive 25.1 yards per reception this season. Nesbitt is joined in the backfield by RB Jonathan Dwyer (1,346 yds 14 TD). Dwyer and Nesbitt give the Yellow Jackets a solid 1-2 rushing punch from the backfield and this season Dwyer averaged 6.1 yards per carry. Iowa has the nation's 11th ranked defense and their rushing defense ranks 32nd, which is a concern in this game. The main goal for Iowa's D in this game is stopping the run and if they cannot do that they may be in trouble since their offense only ranks 88th in the nation in scoring.

Iowa ranks 93rd in the nation on offense and they are led by QB Ricky Stanzi (2,186 yds 15 TD 14 INT), Stanzi did not play in Iowa's last 2 games because of an ankle injury, but he is slated to be the starter in this game. WR's Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Marvin McNutt, who each averaged at least 16 yards per reception this season, are his main targets and the Yellow Jackets' defense cannot let these guys make big plays down the field. Tech has the nation's 54th ranked defense and they are good at defending both the pass and the run. The Iowa offense only ranks 106th in the nation in rushing yards per game, so Tech has to keep Stanzi from moving the chains through the air.

Our Selection : The Haykeyes won their first 9 games before the lack of a running game due to injuries at RB caught up with them. They hope to have both starting RBs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher back for the Orange Bowl. Not one of our favorite plays. but we'll take Iowa plus the 5.5 points. Take the Hawkeyes +5.5


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