Minnesota Golden Gophers at Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview

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— Saturday, November 13th Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Iowa Hawkeyes

The Golden Gophers are taking the Big Ten by storm this season. Currently 6-3, they're tied for first in the Big Ten West with Wisconsin. This week, they have an incredibly tough opponent on their schedule, the Iowa Hawkeyes. The question is, can the Golden Gophers take down the 20th ranked team? If they don't, can they at least cover the 5.5-point spread?

The Iowa Hawkeyes have won six straight games and are hoping to make it a seventh. The Golden Gophers won't go down without a fight, though. The Hawkeyes find themselves also tied for first in the Big Ten West. If they want to take over, they'll first need to battle against the Golden Gophers and claim a victory. Still, who's the best team at the sportsbook?

The Minnesota Golden Gophers can finally claim dominance

As the Golden Gophers head into this one, they come in as underdogs. However, Minnesota has shown time and time again that they shouldn't be taken lightly. Unfortunately, they're coming off a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, the team leading the Big Ten. Still, Minnesota can establish itself as a powerhouse with a win over Iowa on Saturday.

Minnesota will first need to establish their running game. It's how they get their offense going and will be a big help against the Iowa defense. Once the running game is going well, they can focus on taking shots down the field. Above all, however, is finding a way to control the clock and keep Iowa's offense off the field. If they can do that, the Golden Gophers have a shot at winning this.

The Iowa Hawkeyes need this win to control the Big Ten West

The Hawkeyes find themselves in a place where they desperately need to win this game. If they don't, they'll fall out of the top spot in the Big Ten West. If they do win, they'll be able to get a jump on the other teams tied for the number one spot. Beating the Golden Gophers won't be easy, but the Hawkeyes are on a six-game winning streak. Could they make it seven on Saturday?

To do this, Iowa needs to get their passing game going. This is something they've struggled with before. However, what's been their saving grace is their incredible defense. Iowa, on average, allows just 15.7 points per game and ranks fifth in the Nation. Stopping the Golden Gophers offense will give the Hawkeyes a chance to put up points as well.

Our pick for the Golden Gophers versus the Hawkeyes

Although the Hawkeyes defense is one of the best in the entire country, we like Minnesota here. The Golden Gophers can soften up the Hawkeyes' defense with the run and then attack downfield. We all have seen just how great the Minnesota offense can be when they get the run going.

Also, the Golden Gophers come in at +5.5, a pretty sizable spread. Minnesota should be able to keep this game close enough to cover on Saturday. We'll take the road team to cover the spread and the total to go over.

Dunkelindex Free Pick: Golden Gophers +5.5, OVER

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