Minnesota Golden Gophers Odds

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2024 Season Preview

The Minnesota Golden Gophers head into the 2024 football season following a bittersweet and mixed campaign in 2023. Head coach P.J. Fleck, who enters his eighth season, had built momentum with back-to-back 9-4 seasons before a step back in 2023 when his team went 6-7 with a season-ending Quick Lane Bowl win over Bowling Green. 

The Gophers hope to revive their passing game with a new quarterback in New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer, who will take a big step up with his move to the Big Ten. However, unless receivers other than Daniel Jackson emerge as reliable options, the passing game could again suffer. 

Thankfully, Minnesota returns its top two running backs from last season, Darius Taylor and Jordan Nubin, and the Gophers also added some transfers with Ohio University's Sieh Bangura and Oklahoma's Marcus Major. They'll all benefit from a proven offensive line that includes standout left tackle Aireontae Ersery.

To succeed in 2024, Minnesota must also shore up a defense that slipped from a top-10 squad to middle of the pack last year. Giving up big plays was a constant source of frustration for the defense, which will now be under the tutelage of former Rutgers assistant Corey Hetherman. Cody Lindenberg, Devon Williams and Maverick Baranowski all return as experienced members of the defense, and four-star recruit Koi Perich could be an immediate contributor. 

Oddsmakers remain skeptical of Minnesota, though. The Gophers are super long shots to win a national title (900-1) or even win the Big Ten (180-1). However, bettors who are bullish on the 2024 Gophers are no doubt tempted by the over/under wins total for Minnesota. Sportsbooks set the total at 5.0 (-160 odds for the over and +135 for the under).

Minnesota Golden Gophers Point Spreads

Minnesota had a bit of a tough season in 2023 – and the bettors who backed them had it even worse. Minnesota went 3-9 (25.0%) against the spread, and the team failed to cover in the first four games of the year.

With spread bets, if a team covers, bets on that team pay off. Spread bets rely on the amount of the victory to decide the bet, and they look like this:

• Minnesota +3 (-110)
• Wisconsin -3 (-110)

With a 28-14 loss, underdog Minnesota failed to win the game and also badly failed to cover the 3-point spread. The favored team — Wisconsin in this case — needed to win only by 3.5 points (or, essentially 4) to win the bet. Had the Badgers won the game by just 3 points, the spread bet would've pushed, and both sides of the bet would've been refunded.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Over/Unders

Another popular bet on college football is an over/under, or totals, bet. With this kind of bet, you’re wagering on how many points are scored in a Gophers game, rather than which team wins or loses or the amount of the victory.

For example, betting under 46.0 for the game against Wisconsin that finished with a 28-14 score was a winning bet. The total points scored (42) was less than the number oddsmakers set the total. For the over to get the green check, you’d need 46.5 points (47) or more combined points. Whole-number totals like 46 can end up as a tie if the points scored is equal to the total. In that case, all bettors get refunds for their wagers.

Minnesota hit on 46.2% of the Overs in their games last season. So, this was not a very sound wager for Golden Gophers bettors in 2023.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Moneylines

If wins and losses aren’t just the most important thing, but the only thing, then moneyline bets are for you. Moneyline bets are wagers on which team will win the game outright. However, markets adjust the odds based on whether the Gophers are expected to win the game (making them the “favorites”) or expected to lose (“underdogs”).

Favored teams – those with minus odds – pay out less than the amount bet on them; underdogs (plus sign) pay out more. For example, the Gophers winning as -250 favorites vs. Michigan State would require $250 to be wagered to win $100, but if they’re +250 underdogs, you need to risk just $100 to win $250.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Props

Proposition, or prop, bets are wagers on a player's stat line for a game. They're a great entry into betting if you're a fan of fantasy football.

Other than rushing yards, you could bet on Taylor to score a touchdown, QB Brosmer's completions, TE Nick Kallerup's receptions, and many more.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Futures

Future bets are wagers on things that happen over the course of the season, like the total number of wins the Gophers have or a player to win an award at the end of the year.

Other Gophers futures for 2024 include their odds to win the Big Ten, make the playoffs, and more.