Duke’s Mayo Bowl Preview: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is coming up soon between the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5) and Virginia Tech Hokies (6-6) on Friday, January 3 at 7:30 PM ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Golden Gophers are favored to win and have a point spread at -7.5 (-110) with XBET.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview

The Golden Gophers’ last battle was a 24-7 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. This win snapped their two-game losing streak, showing they have some positive momentum.

They scored a touchdown in the first three quarters to gain a sizable lead and easily put this one out of reach. Max Brosmer completed 17 of 26 passes for 191 yards and had two touchdowns to lead the offense. Darius Taylor put up 32 carries totaling 143 yards to push the ground game.

The offense for the Golden Gophers more than doubled the Badgers in yards with 374 and had nine more first downs with 21. They also had possession of the ball for nearly 36 minutes, showing how crucial it was to keep it out of the Badgers’ hands.

The Golden Gophers are 79th in the nation for their offensive output at 26.3 points a game. Defensively they rank 10th in holding teams to 17.5 points a game. While this spread might be good, their offense will need to be more consistent.

Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Preview

The Hokies are also coming off of a win, which was a 37-17 outing over the Virginia Cavaliers. This victory ended their three-game losing skid, where they gave up at least 24 points or more in each loss.

They scored 10 points in each of the first three quarters, showing their dominance for most of the game. William Watson III led their determination with 14 of 21 passes totaling 254 yards and a touchdown.

Their offense accumulated 456 yards and 21 first downs, while holding the Cavaliers to 274 yards, 19 first downs, and forced two turnovers. If their defense can pull through against the Golden Gophers, they have a great shot at success.

The Hokies are averaging 29.7 points a game and rank 53rd for this effort. On defense they rank 40th for allowing 22.8 points a game from opposing teams. This is a solid margin of victory, but they cannot afford to let the Golden Gophers get going offensively early.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl betting odds can be found through XBET. Current betting odds show the Golden Gophers as 7.5-point favorites, while market predictions estimate the Hokies have a 51.3 percent chance of winning.

The Hokies are missing key players on offense, which makes it more difficult to see how they will score points. The Golden Gophers have looked solid all season and should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Minnesota Golden Gophers -7.5 (-110)