The Old Dominion Monarchs and the Indiana Hoosiers meet in week 1 college football action from Memorial Stadium on Saturday. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s an Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Indiana Hoosiers prediction.
Old Dominion Team Preview
The Old Dominion Monarchs come into the 2025 season looking to improve on a 5-7 mark in 2024 including a 4-4 mark in Sun Belt conference play. Colton Joseph is back at QB after throwing for a 60% completion percentage as well as running for 647 yards and 11 TDs, but will have to work with a fairly green receiving group. Joseph will have help in the Monarchs’ backfield with Devin Roche and Bryce Duke after both averaged over six yards per carry last season. On defense, Jason Henderson is back, hoping to have a clean bill of health after logging a total of 438 tackles over the last three full seasons.
Why the Old Dominion Monarchs will win
- Old Dominion has won three of its last four games as an underdog.
- Indiana has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games in August.
- Old Dominion has covered the spread in four of its last five games as a road underdog.
Indiana Team Preview
The Indiana Hoosiers will be out to attempt to fill the huge shoes of 2024’s squad that finished the year with an overall record of 11-2 including an 8-1 mark in Big Ten conference play. Curt Cignetti’s first year at the helm of Indiana resulted in a college football playoff berth, where the Hoosiers fell short against Notre Dame. Fernando Mendoza has a tall task to replace Kurtis Rourke, but the Cal transfer has the pieces to do it after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Elijah Sarratt’s back after following Cignetti from JMU last season and had a team-high 53 catches with 8 TDs and an average of over 18 yards per catch. Omar Cooper’s also back after averaging over 21 yards per catch and 7 TDs last season. Kaelon Black and Maryland transfer Roman Hemby will be Maryland’s two-headed monster in the backfield. On defense, Aidan Fisher’s back after leading the Hoosiers with 118 tackles and D’Angelo Ponds will be a name you hear often in Indiana’s secondary.
Why the Indiana Hoosiers will win
- Indiana has won each of its last 11 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Old Dominion has lost each of its last six road openers.
- The favorite has covered the spread in 11 of Indiana’s last 12 games.
- Old Dominion has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four games.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of Indiana’s last nine games against non-conference opponents at Memorial Stadium (Bloomington) have gone OVER the total points line.
- Four of Old Dominion’s last five season openers have gone UNDER the total points line.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Indiana Hoosiers Prediction
I’m riding with Indiana here. There were a lot of question marks going into last season about what would the Hoosiers be in Curt Cignetti’s first season in charge, well I think he answered those with a bang and now has another capable arm in Fernando Mendoza who had moments of electricity last year for Cal. Cignetti knows what it takes to make the college football playoff as well, and knows that you have to do damage early on as well as win your games in conference. Cignetti didn’t take his foot off of the gas at all in non-conference action last year and I don’t expect him to here either. Give me Indiana in a beatdown.