The Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1) welcome the undefeated Ohio Bobcats (3-0) at TCF Bank Stadium this Saturday in an attempt to secure their third win of the season, following Minnesota’s narrow 10-7 win over Kent State last Saturday. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are looking to continue their 100% run, having beaten the Idaho Vandals, Marshall Thundering Herd and SE Louisiana this season. Something’s gotta give eventually in Saturday’s NCAA Football betting odds, and we take you through our thought-process of who we think is worthiest of the win.
How To Bet the Bobcats @ Golden Gophers NCAA Football Odds, TV & Game Info
Venue: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2015
Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET
TV: Big Ten Network
Game Odds: Ohio (+10), Minnesota (-10), OVER/UNDER 47
Game 4. #BrickByBrick pic.twitter.com/VF3E6sXQlx
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 25, 2015
Why Bet on the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Difficult as it is, the Gophers look to build momentum on their two-game winning streak. Minnesota is coming off a narrow win over Kent State last week in a low-scoring affair and it will be interesting to see how it handles the unbeaten Bobcats.
Needless to say, Minnesota’s offense must improve at running the ball if they are to open up the team’s offensive options, particularly against the Bobcats, who have a good defense. QB Mitch Leidner has completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 614 yards with four TDs and two interceptions this season. Having recorded a TD pass in four straight games, Leidner will need to continue offering his reliably good services in the offense, as he spearheads his team’s attacks. KJ Maye and Drew Wolitarsky are the class of targets in the Minnesota offense, totaling 340 receiving yards combined, along with 4 TDs. Be on the lookout for both to feature strongly, as they are targeted most by the QB.
Meanwhile, the Gophers D-line is allowing 16.7 points and 301.7 YPG, which is quite impressive, considering they’ve not faced the easiest of opponents so far. That said, Erick Murray, Briean Boddy-Calhoun and the rest of the defensive crew will need to step up their game in order to clamp down the Bobcats’ above-average offensive passing and rushing game. Taking the charge will be important for the available Minnesota players in the D, considering the Gophers defense might miss the services of Damarius Travis, Brandon Lingen and Ace Rogers, who are questionable due to injuries.
Why Bet on the Ohio Bobcats
The Ohio Bobcats will be hoping to secure another win and make it 4-0 this season. They enter into this game full of confidence, having won 34-14 over SE Louisiana in the previous game. So for extra motivation, Ohio will not just be looking for a win, but it will have its unbeaten run on the NCAAF betting lines, something the team wouldn’t want to relinquish easily.
The Bobcats have been very effective at running the ball this campaign, exceeding 200 rushing yards in two of their first three games. But just as important to the team is QB Derrius Vick, who has been vital in the attack, completing 70.8 percent of his passes for 548 yards and four TDs against just two interceptions. Not to mention, sophomore A.J. Ouellette and Senior Daz’mond Patterson, who might split carries at running back, will be providing the Bobcats with a thunder-and-lightning combo at the tailback position, giving the team great impetus to do well in the offensive side of things.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Bobcats are allowing 17.3 points and 327.3 YPG. Redshirt sophomore linebackers Chad Moore and Quentin Poling are the leading tacklers for the program at this point in the season. Minnesota is definitely not a highly offensive team, but the duo will need to keep their cool and stop anything passed and run in their direction on Saturday. Considering the defense rank 25th in the country in sacks, totaling 8 through their first three games this season, Ohio fans can be rest-assured that Leidner won’t be having it easy.
The Minnesota vs Ohio Key Betting Trends
• The Gophers are 15-8 ATS in their last 23 games
• The Bobcats are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games
• The Gophers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games at home
• The Bobcats are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games on the road
• The Gophers are 7-2 SU in their last nine games at home
• The Bobcats are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games on the road
My Expert Gophers vs. Bobcats Analysis & Game Prediction
Although the Bobcats have won all their games this season and impressed offensively, Minnesota’s defense will be the toughest they’ve faced, something that could throttle their production and keep them muted on Saturday. However, the Gophers lack the talents to establish the run game and tear apart the Bobcats’ defense, so any decent production from the Bobcats could easily secure them a win.
And for that reason, we believe Ohio could deliver an upset road win over the Gophers, unlikely as it seems on paper. In the game total lines, we favor UNDER betting, going by the mean nature of Minnesota’s defense and Ohio’s pass-rush unit.
