Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6)
January 3, 2025 7:30 pm EDT
The Line: Virginia Tech Hokies +7.55; Over/Under: 42.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate a Virginia Tech vs Minnesota Prediction for this College Football Duke’s Mayo Bowl game on Friday, January 3rd, at the Bank of America Stadium. Let’s take a look at a Virginia Tech Hokies vs Minnesota Golden Gophers pick.
Minnesota Looks to Finish Season Strong
There weren’t many expectations surrounding this Minnesota team but if they are to win this game they will finish with eight wins. The Gophers last game came against the Wisconsin Badgers, and they scored 24 points but even more impressive was the defense giving up only seven points and that was enough for the victory. Max Brosmer completed 17 of his 26 passes for 191 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Darius Taylor had a huge game on the ground rushing 32 times for 143 yards.
The Gophers have been busy bringing in transfers, and next year’s team looks good, but this is a chance for Brosmer to finish his college career with a victory. On the season, Brosmer has thrown for 2,617 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The Gophers on the season is averaging 26.3 points while their defense is giving up 17.5 points per game. In this game the Gophers are going to need the defense to step up in a big way.
Plenty of Opt Out’s for Virginia Tech
There have been plenty of opt outs for Virginia Tech for this bowl game and that could really hurt their chances in this game. Virginia Tech currently has 24 players in the transfer portal and there has to be a major concern about depth heading into this game. Virginia Tech’s last game came against Virginia and they were impressive scoring 37 points on the way to the 20 point victory.
William Watson III had a strong game completing 14 of his 21 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. The good news for Virginia Tech is Kyron Drones and Pop Watson who started the last game at quarterback are both back. The Hokies are averaging 29.7 points while their defense is giving up 22.8 points per game. The offense is ranked 53rd while the defense is ranked 40th.
Virginia Tech vs Minnesota Prediction
Minnesota is going to have little issues getting the job done in this game. Virginia Tech has so many opts out, and they are going to really struggle here. This Gophers defense is often overlooked, but they are going to step up in a big way again here. The Gophers are going to get a strong game from Brosmer, and that will be enough for Minnesota to get the job done. Back the Gophers against the spread.
