Minnesota at Northwestern Picks and Prediction, Saturday, November 22nd, 2025
In this Minnesota at Northwestern prediction, the Golden Gophers head to the Windy City to take on the Wildcats at Wrigley Field in a Big Ten Conference matchup. Minnesota is 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in conference play. Northwestern is 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten. The opening kick is scheduled for 12:00 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
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Golden Gophers Going Bowling
The Golden Gophers come into this game having lost two of their last three games. They have already earned an automatic bowl invitation after claiming their sixth win of the season two weeks ago against Michigan State in overtime. This past week, they were trounced 42-13 by the Oregon Ducks in Oregon.
“We didn't turn the ball over against a really, really good defense. I thought our guys fought incredibly hard, played incredibly tough. You know, this is a really good football team that played pretty close to flawless tonight on the other side. We were going to have to have some things go our way, unfortunately, they didn't.” Head coach P.J. Fleck said after the tough road loss.
The Golden Gophers had trouble generating much offense against the stout Oregon defense last week. The team finished with just 62yards rushing in the game and 200 yards of total offense overall. Freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey finished 19-of-32 for 138 yards and a touchdown. He is now in second place all-time in touchdowns, 11, by a freshman quarterback at Minnesota. Darius Tayler finished with a team-leading 57 yards rushing and added 40 yards receiving, also a team-high in the game.
The Golden Gophers’ defense was overwhelmed by the Ducks powerful offensive, allowing 510 yards of total offense. That included 379 yards through the air. John Nestor set a career-high with eight tackles, including one tackle for loss. Anthony Smith had a sack in the game, giving him 9.5 sacks on the season.
Minnesota has now lost two of three games and sits at 6-4. The Golden Gophers have yet to win a game on the road, sitting at 0-4. They are ranked 120th in the country in points per game. They are 125th in rushing and 104th in passing. The Gophers are 34th in red zone offense and are 66th in sacks allowed. Defensively, they rank 72nd in points allowed per game. They are 37th against the run and 87th against the pass in the country. The Gophers are 101st in red zone defense. They rank 3rd in sacks per game and fourth in fewest penalties per contest. The Gophers are 62nd in turnovers per game.
Key Injuries for Minnesota:
- DL Rushawn Lawrence is questionable.
- WR Kenric Lanier II is out.
One Win and They’re In
The Northwestern Wildcats seemed like a sure bet to earn a bowl invitation three weeks ago, sitting at 5-2. Since then, however, the Wildcats have dropped three straight games, including a heartbreaking 24-22 loss to Michigan at Wrigley Field last Saturday. They now have two more chances to earn that elusive sixth win.
"Ultimately, disappointed in the result," Head Football Coach David Braun said. "There's a lot of things that we can point to in terms of where we could be better to better position ourselves for victory against a really good Michigan team. There's also a lot of things to point to in terms of this team's resolve, perseverance, and belief."
Their ground attack led the Buckeyes’ offense. They rushed for a total of 222 yards, the team’s highest in Big Ten games this season. Bo Jackson led the way with a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah West rushed for a career-high 61 yards and a touchdown, and fellow back James Peoples chipped in with 42 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Julian Sayin continued his stellar play, connecting on 23-of-31 passes for 184 yards and a score. Brandon Inniss led the receiving group with a career-high six catches. The Buckeyes finished with 440 yards of total offense.
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The Wildcat defense fought valiantly against the Wolverines on Saturday. The defense recorded two interceptions and three fumble recoveries to finish with five takeaways, its most in a game since 2022. Robert Fitzgerald led the way with a career-high 15 tackles, including one for loss. He also had an interception in the game. Braydon Brus had a big day as well, finishing with a career-high 13 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble. Finally, Braden Turner stepped up with an interception, forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Northwestern allowed 496 yards of total offense.
Offensively, the Wildcats amassed just 245 total yards, including just 61 yards on the ground. The Wildcats had just 11 first downs in the game, compared with 25 for the Wolverines. They ran 53 plays in total, compared with 77 for Michigan. Quarterback Preston Stone finished the day completing 13-of-27 passes for 184 yards. Tight end Hunter Welcing grabbed four passes for 81 yards, the most by a Wildcat tight end in eight years.
The Wildcats come into this game needing one more victory to earn an automatic bowl invitation. With a game on the road against #21 Illinois next week, this might be their best opportunity to earn that sixth win. The Wildcats are ranked 111th in points per game. They are 44th in the country in rushing the football and 118th in passing. They are 28th in red zone offense. The Wildcats are 22nd in sacks allowed per game. On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats are ranked 24th in the country in points allowed per game. They are just 100th against the run, but are 35th against the pass. The Wildcats are 86th in red zone defense. They are 103rd in sacks per game and fifth in penalty yards per game. They are 62nd in the country in turnover margin.
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Key Injuries for Northwestern:
- DB Damon Walters is doubtful.
- DB Evan Smith is out.
- DL Aidan Hubbard is questionable.
Minnesota at Northwestern Pick
Point Spread pick and prediction for Minnesota at Northwestern
- Northwestern -3.5 (4 units)
It is now or nearly never for Northwestern at home on Saturday vs. Minnesota. The Gophers are 0-4 on the road this season, and the Wildcats have just one loss at home. The Wildcats will once again need to be aggressive on the ground, riding a running attack that ranks 44th in the country in rushing. They’ll also turn to a bend but don’t break defense that ranks 24th in the country in points allowed, despite ranking just 100th against the run. Luckily for the Wildcats, Minnesota ranks 125th in the country in rushing. If they turn to the air, they’ll face Northwestern’s 35th-ranked pass defense. Northwestern has allowed an average of 12 points per game in its last two home games. Northwestern will seize the moment in this critical matchup.
Take the Wildcats -3.5
Over/Under Pick for Minnesota vs Northwestern
- Over 40.5 (4 units)
While neither team is an offensive juggernaut, the defense of Minnesota has been particularly rough on the road. The Gophers have allowed over 40 points per game in their last two road contests. That includes 41 points to an Iowa team that is far from explosive. The weather looks like it will be mild on Saturday, a good sign for the offenses. That should be enough to squeak past this modest total.
Take the over.
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