The Minnesota Golden Gophers look to build on the modest success from last season as they enter the 2023 campaign. We are here to share our college football odds series and make a Minnesota over-under win total prediction and pick.
The Golden Gophers went 9-4, including 5-4 in the Big Ten. Now, they look to keep the momentum and do even better in 2023. Minnesota started the season by shutting out New Mexico State 38-0. Then, they destroyed Western Illinois 62-10. The Golden Gophers continued the winning streak by devouring Colorado 49-7. Next, they dominated in a 34-7 road victory at Michigan State.
But they suffered their first loss to Purdue, falling 20-10 in the Homecoming game. Then, they fell 26-14 at Illinois. The Golden Gophers continued their struggles with a 45-17 defeat at the hands of the Penn State Nittany Lions. However, their three-game losing streak came to an end when they shut out Rutgers 31-0. They followed that up with a 20-13 win at Nebraska and then a 31-3 domination of Northwestern.
Minnesota lost 13-10 at Iowa and then defeated Wisconsin 23-16 to end their regular season. Ultimately, it put them in a position to play a bowl game. Minnesota would defeat Syracuse 28-20 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Minnesota lost three significant players to the NFL this offseason. First, the New York Giants took center John Michael Schmitz with the 57th pick in the second round. The New Orleans Saints were the next to grab a Minnesota player when they drafted safety Jordan Howden with the 146th pick in the fifth round. Finally, the Chicago Bears drafted Terrell Smith with the 165th pick in the fifth round.
Here are the College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds
Over 7.5 wins: +134
Under 7.5 wins: -164
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Why Minneosta Can Win 7.5 Games
There is a new quarterback in town. Now, there is hope he can replicate what the man he replaced accomplished. Athan Kaliakamis was a redshirt freshman who replaced the injured Tanner Morgan last season. Significantly, he went to have a finish with mixed results. But there were some positives that leaves Minnesota alumni feeling positive. Ultimately, he completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 946 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. But the highlight of the season came when he threw for 319 yards in a 23-16 win over Wisconsin. Likewise, he showed his amazing ability to deal with adversity by going on the road and grinding out a win. It helped his team get a bowl game and gave them confidence in his ability to lead the team and win a big rivalry game.
Kaliakamis gets a new weapon in Charlotte transfer Elijah Spencer. Significantly, the receiver caught 57 passes for 943 yards and nine touchdowns. Corey Crooms returns and will look to improve on a season where he caught 57 passes for 814 yards and five scores. Meanwhile, Daniel Jackson also returns and will look to get even better after catching 37 passes for 557 yards and five touchdowns.
The defense lost a few key players. However, the secondary still is a strength. Cornerback Tyler Nubin returns after securing four interceptions, three pass deflections, with 37 solo tackles.
Minnesota will win eight games if Kaliakamis is the real deal and can continue to make strides in his play. Then, the defense must improve in several key areas while remaining strong in the secondary.
Why Minnesota Can Not Win 7.5 Games
There is not much of a psss rush right now. Therefore, it will be tough to have a good defense when the Golden Gophers cannot generate a pass rush. The top pass rusher generated 3.5 sacks last season. Ultimately, it meant that teams had plenty of time to access the field and make a throw. Someone has to step up to be that guy this season or else it is going to be difficult for this defense to succeed.
The secondary is still strong. However, losing Smith. It hurts because it means that quarterbacks will just target his replacement until they can prove they are tough to throw against.
Minnesota will not win eight games because they will not have an effective pass rush. Additionally, their secondary will be slightly weaker. It will put too much pressure on the offense to succeed, especially with a new center.
Final Minnesota Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick
Losing three significant players hurts. Moreover, giving your new quarterback a new center will be a learning curve. Expect a slight drop, with Minnesota probably winning seven games this season. No, the Golden Gophers are not a bad team. But they are not likely to be bowl bound again unless they can fix some significant holes.
Final Minnesota Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Under 7.5 wins: -164
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