The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Monday in Bloomington, IN. Tip-off at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is set for 6:30 p.m. ET; the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Indiana is favored by 10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -535. The total is set at 140.5 points.
Here’s my Minnesota vs. Indiana prediction and college basketball picks for December 9, 2024.
Minnesota vs Indiana Prediction
My Pick: Indiana -10 (Play to -12)
My Minnesota vs Indiana best bet is on the Hoosiers spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Minnesota vs Indiana Odds, Lines
| Minnesota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -108 | 140.5 -108o / -112u | +400 |
| Indiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -112 | 140.5 -108o / -112u | -535 |
- Minnesota vs Indiana spread: Indiana -10
- Minnesota vs Indiana over/under: 140.5 points
- Minnesota vs Indiana moneyline: Indiana -535, Minnesota +400
- Minnesota vs Indiana best bet: Indiana -10 (Play to -12)
Minnesota vs Indiana College Basketball Betting Preview
Minnesota Basketball
The Minnesota Golden Gophers took a beating from Michigan State in the Big Ten opener, losing a 90-72 shootout. Virtually any game that finishes with more than 80 points scored is a loss for the Gophers, as they need to be sound defensively and slow the game down.
The Gophers have been tormented by injuries all year.
Several presumed key cogs, including D-3 import Caleb Williams and Toledo transfer Tyler Cochran. They haven't had a fully healthy roster in any game, but the good news is guard Mike Mitchell Jr. is back. Mitchell came off the bench for the Gophers in his return; he's one of the most important players on their roster.
So, why is Minnesota shaping up as one of the worst teams in the Big Ten? Well, the Gophers offense is terrible.
They have scored more than 70 points just twice this year, including in their 18-point loss to the Spartans. Some of the lower point totals are related to tempo (they rank 356th in adjusted tempo), where the Gophers want to slow games to a halt.
Dawson Garcia is the lone trustworthy scoring option for the Gophers. He's phenomenal, but he needs more help surrounding him. An All-Big Ten selection last year, Garcia has continued his strong play, averaging 19 PPG and 7.4 RPG.
To win road games in the Big Ten, Minnesota needs to solve its shooting problems.
Ben Johnson's squad wants to work the offense inside-out, but nobody respects the Gophers' shooting — they are just 29% from 3.
While Minnesota insists on every game being a slog, Indiana has won three consecutive games by 16+ points against Providence, Sam Houston State and Miami (OH). Those aren't high-quality wins, but wins by double digits aid in posting favorable analytics.
Indiana Basketball
The Hoosiers have flaws from a roster standpoint, but the talent is undeniable. I didn't love the fit of Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo from a defensive or floor-spacing perspective.
Shooting has actually proven to be a strength of Indiana's attack; the Hoosiers are 36% from 3 this year.
One of the primary reasons for the surge is Mgbako, a 47% shooter, and Washington State transfer Myles Rice, who is 41% from 3. Rice represents something the Hoosiers lacked last year — a go-to guard who can create offense.
The Hoosiers' best path to making my best bet a winner is pushing the pace.
We've already seen that Minnesota can't compete in a game in the 80+ point range. The Gophers simply don't have enough scoring to battle in a shootout. We've seen Indiana score 80+ points in five games this year and they rank 51st in tempo. If the Hoosiers make this a full-court game, Minnesota won't have a good chance to cover.
I really hope head coach Mike Woodson saw why the Hoosiers offense was dreadful in the Louisville loss and fixes it here.
In that game, Indiana could have dumped the ball to Ballo and score whenever it wanted, but the offense had zero interest in feeding the big man. Ballo is 7-feet tall and 265 pounds; he is taller and over 30 pounds heavier than Dawson Garcia.
The veteran Hoosier big doesn't even need to score. Just get Garcia in foul trouble and put Minnesota's offense in a bind.
At times, effort appears to be an issue for Indiana on the defensive end. Consistent lazy rotations and lacking attention to detail have led to countless
Minnesota vs. Indiana Betting Analysis
I love the Hoosiers here.
Their closest call at home was an 11-point win over UNCG. Otherwise, it's been a lot of blowout wins in the friendly confines.
I have a hard time picturing this being a tight game if Indiana is able to control the pace and feed its bigs. Just about every angle favors them — pace, talent, home-court advantage and depth.
