Indiana Favored by 20.5 Over Minnesota in Saturday Big Ten Matchup

Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and the No. 1 Hoosiers host Minnesota on Saturday, with Indiana installed as 20.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under for combined scoring sits at 40.5, and kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.

Indiana's season turned on its head earlier this month when the Hoosiers fell to Ohio State, their first defeat in more than a year. The Hoosiers answered that loss with an overtime victory at Michigan last week, improving to 7-1. Coach Curt Cignetti, who took over the program in 2024, said this week that Hoover has been playing through an injury.

Hoover's production has dipped amid that injury. He has completed no more than 54.5% of his passes in each of Indiana's last three games, and the Hoosiers have scored 20, 15 and 13 points in those contests. Indiana's defense has carried the load, ranking second nationally and allowing 12.0 points per game.

Minnesota arrives at 5-2, with wins over Washington, Michigan and Iowa on its record. The Golden Gophers also own a blowout loss at Purdue and a blowout defeat at home against Mississippi State in non-conference play. Minnesota ranks 34th nationally in points allowed per game but 84th in scoring. Quarterback Drake Lindsey has thrown six interceptions this season, with at least one in each of his last five games.

The SportsLine Projection Model, which runs 10,000 simulations of every FBS game, entered Week 9 carrying a 68-59 record on its top-rated college football picks at betting sites, a return of nearly $400 for players staking $100. The model has Indiana covering the 20.5-point spread 68% of the time, giving that side an A grade.