2023 Minnesota Gophers Future Odds
Can Athan Kaliakmanis Earn Minnesota's Trust at Quarterback?
The Minnesota Gophers finished 9-4 overall but just 5-4 in the Big Ten. Under head coach PJ Fleck, the Gophers have gone 44-27. This will be his 7th year as head coach of the program.
Fleck has started to sustain success at Minnesota. Fleck is typically great in bowl games and has given Gopher fans something to cheer about annually.
But there are a lot of questions surrounding this year’s team. They’ll no longer have the duo of Tanner Morgan and Mo Ibrahim. Those two are now in the NFL after generating most of the offense last season.
What does Minnesota have in store in the Big Ten this year?
Check out the Minnesota Gophers future odds for the 2023-24 season.
Minnesota GophersAt A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| National Championship | +20000 | +20000 |
| Conference | +4000 | +4000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 7 (o+110, u-130) | 7 (o+110, u-130) |
| To Make Playoffs (if applicable) | N/A | N/A |
Minnesota’s New Playmakers
The Minnesota Gophers will need a new identity this season. Tanner Morgan and Mo Ibrahim are no longer with the program.
Therefore, it’s now Athan Kaliakmanis’ team. He’s a redshirt sophomore who added 946 yards passing with three touchdowns and four interceptions last year. The interceptions were high. But the experience from last year should help Kaliakmanis develop.
The Gophers added Sean Tyler from Western Michigan to play running back. Tyler added 1,027 yards rushing with Western Michigan last year on 209 carries. He averaged 4.9 yards per rush and scored seven times.
He’s likely not going to be Ibrahim. And that’s okay. Not many runningbacks will ever reach that pinnacle. But he’s a senior running back that can get the job done.
Meanwhile, the offense also added Corey Crooms Jr. from Western Michigan. He’ll be a deep ball threat, averaging 14.3 yards per reception last season. Crooms scored five touchdowns and caught 57 balls for 814 yards. But he won’t be the lone contributor.
Minnesota will also welcome back Chris Autman-Bell, who is back on the field after a leg injury last season. In 2021, he caught six touchdowns. Kaliakmanis will also have Brevyn Spann-Ford, who is projected to be one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten this year.
The offense isn’t full of transfers. It just has a lot of new faces taking control of the program. There’s a little bit of a mystery with this team.
Minnesota Needs More Pass Rush!
Minnesota had one of the best defenses in the Big Ten last year.
They got off the field on third down and finished eighth in the nation in total defense. They were also fourth in scoring defense.
But Minnesota rarely got pressure on the quarterback. If the Gophers can find ways to get in the backfield faster, the defense can be one of the most dominant defenses in the nation.
Danny Striggow led the team with just 3.5 sacks. He’ll return with Cody Lindenberg, who was second in tackles.
Western Michigan’s Ryan Selig should also be a significant producer. He added 135 and 12.5 tackles for a loss for Western Michigan over the previous two seasons.
However, the most impressive portion of the defense is its secondary. They’ve been able to hold defenses, despite the weak pass rush.
The secondary added four transfer corners that could impact this season. They’ve got veterans, young players, and a whole lot of skill in the secondary. A better pass rush would help this secondary so much more.
National Championship Odds: No Chance for Minnesota
Look at Minnesota’s college football schedule this year. They’re in the Big Ten. It’s tough to win the Big Ten and the National Championship when you’re not Ohio State or Michigan.
I’ll even throw Penn State and (maybe) Wisconsin as teams that can get to the National Championship in any given year. But it’s a small number of teams that can get there. Minnesota isn’t one of them out of the Big Ten.
It also helps to have returning players at quarterback and running back. Minnesota doesn’t have that, either.
Save yourself. Don’t bet Minnesota at +20000.
Conference Odds: Minnesota Isn’t Even Ranked in The AP Top 25
AP preseason rankings don’t matter, but Minnesota isn’t in the Top 25 to begin the year. The expectations are somewhat low for Minnesota.
Minnesota is in the Big Ten West, which is an easier division. But they’d have to come out of the Big Ten West NCAAF standings and then face the winner of the Big Ten East, including Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State.
The Gophers need to be more talented, especially on the offensive end. Plus, if the pass rush can’t get any pressure, those receivers on Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State, would torch the Minnesota defense.
We’ll get to watch Minnesota play Michigan in October. We’ll also get to watch Minnesota play Ohio State in November. You’ll see what I’m talking about. Minnesota’s got a low probability of winning the Big Ten for a reason. Stick to betting on the Gophers with college football point spreads. You’ll earn a profit that way.
Regular Season Wins: Should We Trust Kaliakmanis?
Minnesota’s already a seven-point favorite against Nebraska in the first game of the season on August 31. Minnesota should start its season 1-0 with a Big Ten win.
The Gophers would face Eastern Michigan next, giving them a 2-0 start to the season.
However, Minnesota will travel to North Carolina on September 16. The Gophers are great defensively, but can the offense keep up with North Carolina? I don’t think so. Chalk that road game as a loss.
Minnesota would be 2-1 with a road game against Northwestern and a home game against Louisiana next. They’ll win both games and be 4-1 with a date against Michigan.
The Gophers will lose to Michigan and then to Iowa on the road to go 4-3 through seven games.
After that, Minnesota should escape Michigan State and earn a win against Illinois. I also like Minnesota to defeat Purdue. That would give the Gophers six wins and another bowl appearance.
However, they’ll lose to Ohio State on the road and likely take a loss to Wisconsin at home.
Therefore, I’ve got the Under for the Minnesota Gophers future odds win total.
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