2016 Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/4/2016

2015 Record: 8-5

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 6.0

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Over'

Tracy Claeys enters his second season as the head coach in Minnesota on more solid footing. Claeys took over for Jerry Kill midseason after Kill's health issues finally forced him to step down. Claeys (barely) succeeded in guiding the Gophers to a bowl win last year - getting an exemption despite going 5-7 in the regular season - and he will look to get Minnesota back to the postseason for the fifth straight year.

The Gophers have seven offensive starters back and will be hoping for a big senior season from quarterback Mitch Leidner. Leidner enters his third season as a starter, but he's mainly held the job because he avoids making costly mistakes. Minnesota might need more than that this year; they need Leidner to make some plays. The Gophers defense lost four of its top six tacklers but this has been a very consistent unit under Claeys, the former coordinator.

"Lucky" isn't a great word to describe Minnesota the past several seasons. But they have been extra fortunate in terms of their performance in close games as well as their turnover numbers. This is a team that plays physical and executes well. They never beat themselves under Kill, and Claeys has been a coach on Kill's staff for 15 years. But Claeys went just 1-5 after Kill was forced to the sideline.

The good news for the Gophers is that they avoid all the powerhouse teams from the East. Yes, Minnesota has the tough draw of having to face the best teams in the West - Nebraska and Wisconsin - on the road. But that also means that Minnesota gets all their easiest games at home. For a third-tier team like Minnesota that's a big bonus.

Several prominent handicappers really like the Gophers this year. I am not one of them. I don't see a lot of high-end potential from Leidner, and I think the jury is still very much out on Claeys. There really just isn't anything to get excited about. Minnesota does have its three nonconference games at home. And avoiding Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State is fantastic for this group.

I actually have this team down as 6-6 in the regular season, and I don't see any upsets out of this crew. They are perfectly mediocre, and if I am wrong on them, with this schedule, it will be because they overachieved. Play 'over', and if they win their three nonconference games (they will be favored in all three) then this one should be money in the bank.

2016 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
Thu, Sep 1st, 2016	Oregon_State	09:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Sep 10th, 2016	Indiana_State	12:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Sep 24th, 2016	Colorado_State	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Oct 1st, 2016	at Penn_State	12:00 PM	Beaver Stadium
Sat, Oct 8th, 2016	Iowa	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Oct 15th, 2016	at Maryland	12:00 PM	Capital One Field
Sat, Oct 22nd, 2016	Rutgers	12:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Oct 29th, 2016	at Illinois	12:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Nov 5th, 2016	Purdue	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Nov 12th, 2016	at Nebraska	07:30 PM	Tom Osborne Field
Sat, Nov 19th, 2016	Northwestern	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Nov 26th, 2016	at Wisconsin	01:00 PM	Camp Randall Stadium

All Times EST

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past five years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with four of six winning seasons. Robert tallied over $20,000 in football profit between 2011 and 2016, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has eight of nine winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

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