Dramatic shift turns Gophers into home underdogs against UNC

Do the oddsmakers know something that the public doesn't?

Sep 16, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Elijah Spencer (11) is unable to make a catch as North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Armani Chatman (9) defends in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

When betting odds were released for the Gophers' season-opener against North Carolina, most experts viewed Minnesota as one-point favorites. The line ballooned to 2.5 points in Minnesota's favor a big change over the weekend saw a four-point swing turn the odds to favor North Carolina by 1.5 points ahead of Thursday night's game in Minneapolis.

NOTE: There has been a four-point swing in the #Gophers betting odds against North Carolina.

Minnesota was favored by (-2.5) on Saturday, but they’re now (+1.5) point underdogs.

Could be a mixture of a money coming in on UNC and/or possible injuries to UMN. pic.twitter.com/7pl4fcZyVa

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 26, 2024

When betting odds see a shift as big as four points over only two days, it usually means one of two things: there is big money coming in on North Carolina, or there are some injuries for Minnesota. The latter is significant for those with zero interest in the game's odds.

Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck is notoriously close to the vest when it comes to disclosing injury information, and with star players Darius Taylor and Daniel Jackson reportedly banged up, there are now questions about their health heading into Thursday night. Fleck was asked about Taylor's health last Monday at a scheduled media availability and he didn't say much.

"He's doing great, but we brought in a ton of players for that reason in general. If anybody ever gets banged up — and we got a few bumps and bruises — I'm going to use the same line as we get 10 days before: the injury report will come out two hours before (the game)," Fleck said.

Last season the Big Ten began releasing an injury report two hours before the game and that'll be the case this week before we get an official word on the health of the Gophers. It's worth noting that Fleck made sure to talk about the team's depth at running back when asked about Taylor, but he also seems confident heading into Week 1.

"This is a very healthy football team and I love how they've gone about their business throughout training camp. I thought we structured it to benefit them, which we always do," Fleck said. "But you learn from your past to create your future on certain things. We listen to a lot of the science and data and apply to our whole training camp schedule accordingly."

There is a chance that the shift had nothing to do with Minnesota's injuries, but it's hard to ignore and it will be a key area to focus on four days ahead of the opener at Huntington Bank Stadium.