Entering the final week of the regular season, the Indiana Hoosiers have their work cut out for them. The Hoosiers made the cut in Joe Lunardi's latest bracket projection, but barely. IU is slated as the final team in the "Last Four In" category, which leaves them with little room for error this week in the final two games before the Big Ten Tournament.
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This week's slate for IU features a home matchup against Minnesota on Wednesday and a road tilt against Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday. Those are both winnable games, and professional oddsmakers have high expectations for the Hoosiers in Wednesday's battle against the Golden Gophers.
Indiana heavily favored over Minnesota in crucial Wednesday night matchup
Looking to snap a four-game losing skid, the Hoosiers find themselves as heavy betting favorites in this matchup. More specifically, Indiana is favored by 7.5 points over Minnesota on DraftKings Sportsbook. When it comes to the moneyline, IU has odds of -298 while Minnesota has odds of +240.
That spread shows that oddsmakers are confident that Indiana will get the job done and find the win column against Minnesota. Home court advantage figures to be a factor, as Indiana is 13-4 at Assembly Hall this season while Minnesota is just 2-8 on the road.
This is also a series that IU has dominated in recent seasons. The Hoosiers have won nine of the last 10 meetings against the Golden Gophers, and have covered the spread in eight of those 10 games.
However, Minnesota defeated Indiana by a score of 73-64 in Minneapolis back on December 3 in the first game of Big Ten play. That result has revenge on the minds of the Hoosiers. Minnesota endured a seven-game losing streak in January, but has won three of its last four games entering this contest.
In what is essentially a must-win game, it's imperative that Indiana stays composed and defends home court. If not, the Hoosiers' NCAA Tournament hopes will undoubtedly take a hit.