One of the interesting parts about sports betting is that unexpected stories can spring up during a game, week or develop over the course of a season. In college basketball this season, one of the more interesting betting stories has been the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Most casual fans probably haven’t watched a minute of Gophers basketball this season, or would be able to name a player on the roster. Part of the reason for that is the Gophers are a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten with a 17-9 overall record (8-7 in Big Ten play).
But sports bettors have been following them closely — because the Gophers are a ridiculous 23-3 against the spread this season, including nine straight covers.
What’s even more interesting is oddsmakers aren’t really sure why this is happening.
“There’s always a team like this, but I honestly don’t know what is particularly special about this team,” Seamus Magee, a college basketball trader at BetMGM told For The Win. “They’re a .500 Big Ten team, their offense is Top 40 on KenPom, but they’re not crushing teams on 3-pointers. What’s even more shocking is that they’re 23-3 ATS and one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country. That’s usually not a recipe for covering spreads.”
To his point, the Gophers were 295th in the nation (out of 363 Division 1 teams) in free-throw percentage at 68.8 percent, entering Friday’s games.
Even though oddsmakers have increased Minnesota’s power rating, the covers keep coming.
“The Gophers have been playing above their power rating all season,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City, told For The Win. “I’ve upgraded them seven points from where I had them to start the season. We have been raising Minnesota throughout the season, they just keep beating the number.”
Gable pointed to Indiana State, Iowa State and Washington State as some other college basketball teams that have risen in his power rankings so far this season.
The Gophers have been terrific in all situations, going:
At some point, the ATS train will slow down, but it’s been a boon for bettors with a sharp eye so far this season. And a fun college basketball betting storyline to follow.
