Week 1 is here! At long last, it is game week for the Indiana Hoosiers football program.
The last time the Cream and Crimson were on the gridiron, they were capping off a 16-0 season with a historic win in the CFP National Championship Game against Miami (FL). The Hoosiers enter the new season with plenty of new faces, but the high hopes remain.
Indiana's title-defending season is set to commence this Saturday afternoon against North Texas at Memorial Stadium. The Mean Green are entering a new era under head coach Neil Brown after Eric Morris left for the Oklahoma State job.
With kick-off drawing nearer, what do oddsmakers think of this matchup? Not surprisingly, they are heavily favoring Indiana.
As of Monday, August 31 at 3 p.m. ET, the Hoosiers find themselves as 40.5-point favorites over the Mean Green via DraftKings Sportsbook. Furthermore, DraftKings isn't even offering moneyline odds for this matchup. That's how confident they are in the Hoosiers walking away with a victory.
ESPN’s attempt to find “the next Indiana” completely misses the mark
In this situation, the Hoosiers aren't being asked to simply beat North Texas. They are expected to dominate. But there is a lot that goes into that formula.
The story in this one will be how Indiana wins. Does the first team dominate? Does Josh Hoover pick up where Fernando Mendoza left off? How does the rushing attack fare without a pair of 1,000-yard rushers from last season? Does Cignetti pull the starters early?
No matter what the answers to those questions reveal, one thing is clear: The Indiana football program has reached a point where being favored by 40.5 points feels normal.
Curt Cignetti continues to reach new heights at Indiana
Before Cignetti arrived in Bloomington, favoring the Hoosiers by 40+ points over anybody would have almost been unthinkable. Now, it barely raises an eyebrow.
Furthermore, it shows how quickly Cignetti has changed the entire perception of Indiana football. The Hoosiers aren't just expected to win, they're expected to dominate these types of games.
Cignetti's overwhelming success at IU has put the entire college football world on notice. The Hoosiers have moved from an afterthought to a national powerhouse in record time. Taking over for the program with the most losses in college football history, Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to an overall record of 27-2 over his two seasons. In that time he has generated back-to-back CFP appearances, won a Big Ten title, coached a Heisman Trophy-winning QB, and delivered an improbable National Championship. It's arguably the greatest turnaround in sports history, and he is looking to keep the train rolling in 2026.
Indiana enters the new season among the preseason favorites to win the national title. Specifically, with odds of +900, the Hoosiers are 6th on the National Championship odds board on DraftKings. Instead of just looking to get to a bowl game like years prior, the Hoosiers are expected to compete for a national title. What a world!
Indiana's non-conference schedules under Cignetti have been a hot topic of discussion, but the results from last year's title run speak for themselves when it comes to what Indiana is capable of. Over the last two seasons, Indiana has won its six non-conference games by an average of 44.8 points per game. With a 40.5-point spread, oddsmakers are expecting more of the same.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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