Point Spread: Hoosiers Modest Underdog at Minnesota, No. 1 in Nation Against Spread
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The return of veteran point guard Xavier Johnson has Indiana looking like a different team lately as they've racked up wins as underdogs against Wisconsin and Maryland.
They'll try to make it three in a row on Wednesday night at Minnesota, where they are 5.5-point underdogs to the Gophers, according to the SISportsbook gambling website. The over/under on Wednesday morning is 149.5
Indiana beat Minnesota at Assembly Hall on Jan. 12, and that was the start of a four-game losing streak for the Gophers that included home losses to Iowa and Wisconsin. But they've been 6-4 since in Big Ten play, and been the surprise of the league so far this season after being cellar dwellers two years in a row.
It's no surprise that the Gophers are favored, because they're usually good at home and they are the No. 1 team in the country against the spread this season, going 24-5 versus the number. That's an 82.8 cover rate, which is crazy.
If you're curious, South Florida (19-6-3) is second at 76 percent. The next Power 6 team — we count the Big East in basketball — is South Carolina (21-8), which is No. 3 at 72.4 percent. The next Big Ten team is Nebraska (19-11), which checks in at No. 22 nationally.
Some things to know, though. Indiana did win and cover in January, and Minnesota has failed to cover in two of its last three games.
Expect a high-scoring affair. Indiana has gone over the total seven times in the past eight games, and Minnesota is 6-1 over the total recently.
The game starts at 9 p.m. ET and is being televised on Big Ten Network. For all of the information on how to watch and a great preview of the game from HoosiersNow.com writer Jack Ankony, CLICK HERE
Here's what Indiana has done against the spread so far this season.
Indiana by the numbers
- Indiana overall record: 16-13
- Indiana overall vs. spread: 13-16
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- Indiana home record: 11-5
- Indiana home vs. spread: 8-8
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- Indiana road record: 3-6
- Indiana road vs spread: 4-5
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- Indiana neutral court record: 2-2
- Indiana neutral court vs. spread: 1-3
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- Indiana record as favorite: 10-3
- Indiana vs. spread as favorite: 5-8
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- Indiana record as underdog: 6-10
- Indiana vs. spread as underdog: 8-8
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- Indiana over total: 17
- Indiana under total: 12
For every game, we'll give you a complete rundown on what both teams have done against the spread. We'll have final scores, what they did versus the spread and what happened with the over/under totals.
Indiana results vs. spread this season
Here's what Indiana has done this season, straight up and against the spread:
- Nov. 7 — Beat Florida Gulf Coast 69-63 at home as an 11.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (132) went under the 142.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 12 — Beat Army 72-64 at home as a 25.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (138) went over the 134.5 total.
- Nov. 16 — Beat Wright State 89-80 at home as a 15.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (169) went far over the 146.5 total.
- Nov. 19 — Lost to No. 5 Connecticut 77-57 at Madison Square Garden in New York as a 12.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (134) went under the 146.5 total.
- Nov. 20 — Beat Louisville 74-66 at Madison Square Garden in New York as an 8.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (140) went under the 146.5 total.
- Nov. 26 — Beat Harvard 89-76 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as an 7.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (165) went far over the 140.5 total.
- Dec. 1 — Beat Maryland 65-53 at home as a 3.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (116) went far under the 136.5 total.
- Dec. 5 — Won at Michigan 78-75 as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (153) went over the 144.5 total.
- Dec. 9 — Lost to Auburn 104-76 in Atlanta as a 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (180) went far over the 147.5 total.
- Dec. 16 — Lost to No. 2 Kansas 75-71 at home as a 7.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (146) went under the 147.5 total.
- Dec. 19 — Beat Morehead State 69-68 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (137) went under the 141.5 total.
- Dec. 21 — Beat North Alabama 83-66 at home as a 13.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (149) went over the 147.5 total.
- Dec. 29 — Beat Kennesaw State 100-87 at home as a 12.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (187) went over the 15.5 total.
- Jan. 3 — Lost at Nebraska 86-70 as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (156) went over the 151.5 total.
- Jan. 6 — Beat Ohio State 71-65 at home as a 1.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.
- Jan. 9 — Lost at Rutgers 66-57 as a 2.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (123) went under the 140.5 total.
- Jan. 12 — Beat Minnesota 74-62 as a 3.5-point favorite at tipoff (covered). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.
- Jan. 16 — Lost to No. 2 Purdue 87-66 at home as a 9.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (153) went over the 151.5 total.
- Jan. 19 — Lost at No. 11 Wisconsin 91-79 as an 11.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (180) went over the 141.5 total.
- Jan. 27 — Lost at Illinois 70-62 as a 14.5-point underdog at tipoff (coverede). The score (132) went under the 154.5 total.
- Jan. 30 — Beat Iowa 74-68 as a 1.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (142) went under the 160.5 total.
- Feb. 3 — Lost to Penn State 85-71 as a 6.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (156) went over the 150.5 total.
- Feb. 6 — Won at Ohio State 76-73 as an 6.5-point underdog at tipoff (cover). The score (149) went over the 143.5 total.
- Feb. 10 — Lost at No. 2 Purdue 79-59 as an 18.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (138) went under the 138.5 total.
- Feb. 18 — Lost to Northwestern 76-72 at home as a 2.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (148) went over the 139.5 total.
- Feb. 21 — Lost to Nebraska 85-70 at home as a 2.5-point favorite at tipoff (did not cover). The score (155) went over the 150.5 total.
- Feb. 24— Lost at Penn State 83-74 at home as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (157) went over the 151.5 total.
- Feb. 27 — Beat Wisconsin 74-70 at home as a 4.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (144) went over the 140.5 total.
- March 3 — Won at Maryland 83-78 as an 8.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (161) went over the 136.5 total.
Minnesota results vs. spread this season
Minnesota is a surprising 18-11 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten, which is saying something considering the Gophers were just 2-17 in the Big Ten in 2023 and 4-16 in the league in Ben Johnson's first year in 2021-22. He's a league Coach of the Year candidate for sure.
The Golden Gophers opened the season ranked No. 112 in the Kenpom.com computer rankings, the lowest of all 14 Big Ten teams. Now they're at No. 61 as of Wednesday morning. Indiana, by the way, is at No. 95.
Minnesota is a whopping 24-5 against the number this season, best in the country, and is 14-4 against the spread in league games, which is also No. 1 by a wide margin. So far, 17 of its 29 games have gone over the total, including six of the last seven.
Here's what Minnesota has done this season, straight up and against the spread:
- Nov. 6 — Beat Bethune-Cookman 80-60 at home as a 17.5-point favorite (covered). The score (140) went under the 141.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 10 — Beat Texas-San Antonio 102-76 at home as an 11.5-point favorite (covered). The score (178) went over the 146.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 16 — Lost to Missouri 70-68 at home as a 2.5-point underdog (covered). The score (138) went under the 147.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 18 — Beat South Carolina-Upstate 67-53 at home as a 12.5-point favorite (covered). The score (120) went under the 142.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 21 — Beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 86-67 at home as a 17.5-point favorite (covered). The score (153) went over the 151.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 26 — Lost at San Francisco 76-58 as a 5.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (134) went under the 134.5 over/under total.
- Nov. 30 — Beat New Orleans 97-64 at home as a 13.5-point favorite (covered). The score (161) went over the 151.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 3 — Lost at Ohio State 84-74 as a 13.5-point underdog (covered). The score (158) went over the 142.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 6 — Beat Nebraska 76-65 at home as a 2.5-point underdog (covered). The score (141) went under the 149.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 9 — Beat Florida Gulf Coast 77-57 at home as an 8.5-point favorite (covered). The score (132) went under the 139.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 12 — Beat IUPUI 101-65 at home as a 21.5-point favorite (covered). The score (166) went over the 139.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 21 — Beat Ball State 80-63 at home as a 11.5-point favorite (covered). The score (143) went over the 138.5 over/under total.
- Dec. 29 — Beat Maine 80-62 at home as a 13.5-point favorite (covered). The score (142) went over the 137.5 over/under total.
- Jan. 4 — Won at Michigan 73-71 as a 5.5-point underdog (covered). The score (144) went under the 149.5 over/under total.
- Jan. 7 — Beat Maryland 65-62 at home as a 1.5-point favorite (covered). The score (127) went under the 136.5 over/under total.
- Jan. 12 — Lost at Indiana 74-62 as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (136) went under the 147.5 total.
- Jan. 15 — Lost to Iowa 86-77 at home as a 3.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (163) went over the 155.5 over/under total.
- Jan. 18 — Lost at Michigan State 76-66 as an 11.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (142) went over the 140.5 total.
- Jan. 23 — Lost to No. 13 Wisconsin 61-59 at home as a 2.5-point underdog (covered). The score (120) went under the 138.5 over/under total.
- Jan. 27 — Won at Michigan State 83-74 as a 3.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (157) went over the 149.5 total.
- Feb. 3 — Beat Northwestern 75-66 at home as a 1.5-point underdog (covered). The score (141) went over the 138.5 over/under total.
- Feb. 6 — Beat Michigan State 59-56 at home as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The score (115) went under the 138.5 over/under total.
- Feb. 11 — Lost at Iowa 90-85 as a 7.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (175) went over the 155.5 total.
- Feb. 15 — Lost at No. 3 Purdue 84-76 as a 16.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (160) went over the 146.5 total.
- Feb. 18 — Beat Rutgers 81-70 at home as a 5.5-point favorite (covered). The score (151) went over the 132.5 over/under total.
- Feb. 22 — Beat Ohio State 88-79 at home as a 2.5-point favorite (covered). The score (151) went over the 140.5 over/under total.
- Feb. 25 — Lost at Nebraska 73-55 as a 5.5-point underdog at tipoff (did not cover). The score (128) went under the 146.5 total.
- Feb. 28 — Lost at No. 13 Illinois 105-97 as a 12.5-point underdog at tipoff (covered). The score (202) went over the 154.5 total.
- March 2 — Beat Penn State 75-70 at home as a 6.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (145) went over the 140.5 over/under total.