Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Oregon Ducks Prediction and Picks – Friday, November 14
The Oregon Ducks will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers this Friday night, and we'll preview the lines and odds in our Minnesota vs. Oregon prediction. The Ducks are 8-1 and firmly in the College Football Playoff chase, while the Gophers are 6-3 coming off a Week 11 bye. Kickoff is set for 9:00 PM ET on Friday, November 14.
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Minnesota scraps past Michigan State, stays afloat in Big Ten
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten conference play, putting them at seventh in the standings behind a short list of playoff contenders. They'll travel to face one of those teams–Oregon–as 25-point underdogs this Friday.
Minnesota scraped by in its last outing, taking a now 3-6 Michigan State team to overtime before beating them 23-20, failing to cover as 5.5-point favorites. The Spartans gained 467 yards while the Gophers gained 301, but they also gave up 96 yards on ten penalties while the Gophers gave up eight yards on two. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey completed 26 of 39 passes for 197 yards, averaging only 5.1 yards per attempt and finishing his second straight game without a passing touchdown. He scored two touchdowns on the ground for the Gophers, but finished the game with a net -5 yards on five rushing attempts–none going longer than three yards. It isn't a bad thing that the redshirt freshman found the endzone twice–including on the game-winning touchdown in overtime–but it'd be disingenuous to call him a dual-threat. He's totaled -68 rushing yards this year on 24 carries, and he's finished with a negative rushing total against each of the team's eight FBS opponents.
The Gophers are 96th in passing yards (203.3), 123rd in rushing yards (109.8), and 98th in points (23.8) per game this season among FBS teams, but they're 39th in points allowed per game (21.6). They've played two road games against Big Ten opponents this season: their 42-3 loss at Ohio State, and their 41-3 loss at Iowa. They'll look to come back from their trip to Oregon with a more respectable result.
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Oregon claws past Iowa, stays alive in playoff race
The Oregon Ducks enter Week 12 at 8-1 overall, 5-1 in conference play, and eighth in the College Football Playoff Rankings. The only blemish on the Ducks' record is a 30-20 loss to Indiana, currently second in the rankings at 9-0, but they narrowly avoided another loss in their 18-16 win over Iowa last week.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rob Vincilleti | +450.00 |
| 2 |  Sean Higgs | +327.00 |
| 3 |  David Delano | +182.00 |
| 4 |  Stephen Nover | +100.00 |
| 5 |  Terry Edelmann | +100.00 |
Oregon owes its lone touchdown last week to Dierre Hill Jr., a freshman back who finished fourth on the team with 45 rushing yards in a dominant ground performance. The Ducks' backfield totaled 261 yards on 36 carries overall–Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison, and Hill Jr. each averaged over six yards per carry, while quarterback Dante Moore added 46 yards on four runs of his own. Moore's performance through the air was less inspiring–he completed 13 of 21 passes for 112 yards and an interception. The team's defense scored the first two points of the game on a safety. Atticus Sappington scored the remaining nine points on field goals, including one as time expired in the fourth quarter to save the Ducks from an embarrassing loss.
The Ducks are only 67th in passing yards per game (231.9) among 136 FBS teams, but they're sixth in rushing yards (239.7), ninth in points (38.9), and sixth in points allowed (13.8). They only beat the Hawkeyes by two last-second points despite vastly outgaining them in yardage–373 to 239. They'll look to put on a stronger performance when the Gophers visit this Friday.
Oregon is dealing with several key injuries, including OT Alex Harkey, TE Kenyon Sadiq, LB Devon Jackson. WR Gary Bryant Jr. and WR Dakorien Moore are questionable with undisclosed injuries. Moore has 28 catches fof 443 yards and three TDs.
Minnesota vs. Oregon Pick
Spread Pick for Minnesota vs. Oregon
- Minnesota +25.5 (-110) (4 Units)
Oregon has struggled mightily to translate yards into points over its past two outings. A week before scraping past Iowa 18-16, they struggled to a 21-7 win over Wisconsin in a game they were favored to win by over 30 points. Minnesota enters Week 12 coming off a bye week–ideally, they'll be ready to lose to Oregon by a more presentable margin than they lost to Ohio State and Iowa. The Ducks may have some key players out, which could hamper them. Either way, covering a 25.5-point spread is a tough ask for a team that hasn't had a 26-point game in nearly a month.
Over/Under Pick for Minnesota vs. Oregon
- Under 44.5 (-115) (4 Units)
Neither of these offenses has looked great in recent weeks, and the Team Total Under is 3-1 in each team's last four games. Minnesota hasn't been part of a game that's hit 45 total points since they beat Purdue 27-20 on October 11. These teams are both among the top 40 FBS teams in scoring defense; one offense might turn things around in this game, but I wouldn't expect both of them to pull it off.
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