The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Chicago, Illinois. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. EST on BTN.
Northwestern is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. The total is set at 40.5 points.
Here’s my Minnesota vs. Northwestern prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 22, 2025.
Minnesota vs Northwestern Prediction
- Minnesota vs. Northwestern Pick: Northwestern -3.5 or better
My Northwestern vs. Minnesota best bet is on Northwestern to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Minnesota vs Northwestern Odds
| Minnesota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -105 | 40.5 -110o / -110u | +155 |
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -115 | 40.5 -110o / -110u | -180 |
- Minnesota vs Northwestern point spread: Northwestern -3.5 (-110), Minnesota +3.5 (-110)
- Minnesota vs Northwestern over/under: 40.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Minnesota vs Northwestern moneyline: Minnesota +155, Northwestern -180
Minnesota vs Northwestern Preview
Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview: Up and Down for Lindsey
For the second week in a row, football will be played in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
Michigan managed a two-point win last week, and now Minnesota will head to the North Side of Chicago.
The Golden Gophers are 6-4 on the season and coming off a blowout loss on the road at Oregon. Road struggles have been the story for the Gophers this season – they're 0-4 on the road.
Freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey has been up and down throughout the season, although he has shown flashes. He has a big body and a strong arm, but has had accuracy issues. Lindsey has tossed 11 touchdowns with six interceptions. He has struggled through conference play and has just two touchdowns and three interceptions over the past four weeks.
Minnesota wants to lean on its running game. However, star running back Darius Taylor has been dealing with a hamstring injury for the majority of the season. He has missed three games this year, and even when he does suit up, he is clearly hobbled.
Taylor returned last week against Oregon with just 10 carries for 57 yards. After rushing for 10 touchdowns last year, he has found the end zone just once this season.
The Golden Gophers rank 125th nationally in Rush Success Rate, which has forced them to lean on Lindsey throwing the ball much more than they would probably like, and he has just not been able to find consistent success through the air.
Defensively, the Gophers have also slipped from some of the units we have seen in recent years. Minnesota ranks in the bottom half of the Big 10 in scoring defense and total defense, and they have especially struggled on the road.
The lone bright spot for this unit has been defensive end Anthony Smith. He has been a force off the edge for the Gophers, racking up 12.5 tackles for loss and leading the Big 10 in sacks with 9.5.
Safety Koi Perich is very talented, but he has taken a massive step back from his breakout freshman season.
Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview: Need Their Run Game Back
The Wildcats started the season 5-2 and looked like they could be frisky in the Big 10, but have since lost three straight games.
While you can point to last week’s game and say they were able to hang with Michigan and only lost by two points on a last-second field goal, Northwestern was outgained by 250 yards and needed five turnovers to make the game competitive.
Accuracy has been a big issue for quarterback Preston Stone. After losing his job at SMU, Stone transferred to Northwestern and won the starting job. He ranks 15th among Big 10 starting quarterbacks in completion percentage and leads the conference with nine interceptions.
Griffin Wilde has been Stone’s favorite target, leading the team with 45 receptions, more than double the next closest target.
Northwestern lost starting running back Cam Porter for the season in Week 2, but Caleb Komolafe has stepped up and hit the ground running. He averages 4.9 yards per carry and has nine touchdowns on the year. Behind him, Joseph Himon and Dashun Reeder have also been very effective in relief, although Reeder has missed the past two games with an injury.
Michigan completely shut down Northwestern's run game. The Wildcats had averaged more than 180 yards per game on the ground before last week. They'll need to bounce back on the ground and get the run game going again to have a chance to end the losing streak.
Northwestern’s defense has really struggled to be consistent on a play-by-play basis. They rank 106th nationally in Success Rate allowed and just gave up nearly 500 total yards to Michigan last week.
However, they have really put the clamps on when opponents get into scoring range.
Michigan scored just 24 points despite moving the ball at will on this defense. The Wildcats rank in the top 20 nationally in Defensive Finishing Drives.
Northwestern's pass defense has been strong, but the Wildcats have been shredded on the ground, ranking outside the top 100 nationally in run defense. They've allowed eight rushing scores across the past three games.
Minnesota vs Northwestern Pick, Betting Analysis
Northwestern has faced an extremely difficult schedule, losing at Tulane, vs. Oregon, at Nebraska, at USC, and last week to Michigan.
All five teams have spent time ranked in the AP Top 25 this season.
Despite facing the more difficult schedule, Northwestern ranks higher in Success Rate and has allowed 40 fewer points than Minnesota.
With a limited Taylor for Minnesota, the Gophers have had to rely on the passing game much more.
Lindsey has been inconsistent and struggling with accuracy, and that plays into the hands of a Northwestern defense that is much better against the pass. The Wildcats picked off Michigan three times last week.
While this is not an actual home game for Northwestern, it will be their second week in a row playing in Wrigley Field, giving them a significant advantage in getting used to the sight lines and logistics of the baseball field.
Minnesota has really struggled away from Huntington Bank Stadium this season. The Gophers are 0-4 straight up and against the spread on the road and have allowed 38 points per game on the road. Lindsey has just two touchdown passes with four interceptions in four road games this season.
Look for Northwestern to get back to running the ball against this Golden Gophers defense and control the clock in what should be a lower-scoring game.
Even if Minnesota is able to move the ball, the Wildcats are stingy enough to keep them out of the end zone and are likely to force Lindsey into mistakes, as they did Bryce Underwood last week. Michigan has a strong enough defense to overcome five turnovers, but Minnesota does not.
The Golden Gophers are just 2-7-1 against the spread and have been playing much worse than their record indicates.
Northwestern is the better football team and gets it done here at Wrigley Field.
Pick: Northwestern -3.5 or Better
