This week's picks

Minnesota vs. Indiana Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

College Football Charts
Data updatedOct 31, 2026
Site
Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

Share as an image

Image style

Minnesota at Indiana

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET, Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN).

The numbers say: Indiana, 96% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET
TVCBS
WhereMemorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)
Weather68°, cloudy, wind 4 mph
LineIndiana −20.5, total 40.5
Line movementOpened Indiana −22.5; moved 2 points toward Minnesota. Total opened 45.5, down 5.
SeriesMinnesota leads 40–26–3
Last meetingMinnesota 35–14 in 2021

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Indiana by 22.895%38
PRIMEIndiana by 20.893%
EloIndiana98%
The lineIndiana −20.5, opened −22.540.5, opened 45.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Minnesota or Indiana?

The numbers say: Indiana. 95% chance to win

Which matchups decide Minnesota vs. Indiana?

All three ratings favor Indiana, by 20.8 to 22.8 points, and it isn't close. Indiana's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 5th in line yards allowed per carry, against Minnesota's offensive line at 137th. Minnesota's way back in is its 3rd down defense, 13th in 3rd downs allowed, against Indiana's 3rd down offense at 82nd. We left out the edges built on Davion Chandler, who's out.

Minnesota with the ball

Indiana with the ball

Who's out for Minnesota and Indiana?

Minnesota

Indiana

How Minnesota and Indiana compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Minnesota and Indiana are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Minnesota's and Indiana's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Minnesota and Indiana?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Indiana 20.3 points better (6th to 57th). PRIME also has Indiana ahead, by 18.3. Elo, which only sees results, also has Indiana ahead (2nd to 82nd).

MinnesotaIndiana
SP+ overall3.9 (57th)24.2 (6th)
SP+ offense23.6 (93rd)35.1 (15th)
SP+ defense19.8 (27th)10.9 (2nd)
SP+ special teams0.1 (54th)0.0 (68th)
PRIME net0.1 (68th)18.4 (9th)
PRIME offense-4.86 (104th)4.35 (35th)
PRIME defense3.83 (37th)13.48 (2nd)
PRIME SOS-0.8 (54th)1.4 (35th)
PRIME SOR1.4 (33rd)3.3 (4th)
Elo1434 (82nd)2076 (2nd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Minnesota's offense ranks 123rd in adjusted EPA per play, and the Indiana defense it faces ranks 10th in EPA per play allowed. Indiana's offense ranks 11th against Minnesota's 42nd-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Indiana's offense against Minnesota's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Indiana's offensive line in the run game: 40th in adjusted line yards per carry, against Minnesota's 91st-ranked defense. Adjust for opponents and Minnesota's defense falls from 20th to 42nd in EPA per play allowed: a lot of that came against soft offenses.

MinnesotaIndiana
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.01 (123rd)+0.22 (11th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.13 (111th)+0.35 (5th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)−0.02 (128th)+0.08 (53rd)
Success rate (adjusted)37.9% (118th)44.8% (33rd)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)46.6% (72nd)48.9% (39th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)24.8% (137th)30.6% (64th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.91 (124th)0.93 (73rd)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.57 (137th)3.06 (40th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.09 (83rd)1.38 (12th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.06 (42nd)−0.01 (10th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.13 (32nd)+0.10 (18th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.10 (101st)−0.04 (5th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)41.3% (62nd)33.5% (3rd)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.95 (89th)0.95 (92nd)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.02 (91st)2.53 (5th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.05 (48th)0.87 (8th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Minnesota or Indiana?

Minnesota is better throwing (82nd in EPA per pass) than running (134th). Indiana's pass defense ranks 27th, so the defense has the better of it. Indiana is better throwing (4th in EPA per pass) than running (66th). Minnesota's pass defense ranks 31st, so that's an edge.

MinnesotaIndiana
EPA per play+0.01 (121st)+0.29 (13th)
EPA per pass+0.18 (82nd)+0.52 (4th)
EPA per rush−0.15 (134th)+0.10 (66th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.26 (113th)+0.60 (31st)
EPA per play allowed−0.01 (20th)−0.04 (16th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.06 (31st)+0.05 (27th)
EPA per rush allowed+0.10 (89th)−0.12 (10th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.13 (9th)+0.32 (46th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Minnesota or Indiana?

Minnesota outscores FBS opponents by 6.5 a game, and Indiana by 21.6. Minnesota's offense ranks 83rd in scoring, and the Indiana defense it faces ranks 2nd in points allowed. Indiana's offense ranks 38th against Minnesota's 34th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

MinnesotaIndiana
Points scored26.6 (83rd)33.6 (38th)
Points allowed20.1 (34th)12.0 (2nd)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Minnesota has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 107th, against a defense ranked 49th in 3rd down conversions allowed. Indiana's best matchup is big plays: its offense ranks 16th in explosive play rate, and Minnesota's defense ranks 63rd in explosive plays allowed.

MinnesotaIndiana
Pass yards / game228.3 (72nd)228.6 (71st)
Rush yards / game109.1 (130th)199.1 (32nd)
Yards per play5.54 (112th)6.82 (23rd)
Yards per carry3.92 (131st)6.03 (17th)
Yards per attempt7.10 (90th)8.02 (50th)
Completion %65.8% (49th)53.1% (116th)
Success rate42.0% (85th)43.0% (77th)
Explosive play rate11.5% (87th)15.3% (16th)
3rd down conversion34.7% (107th)38.3% (82nd)
Sack rate (taken)2.6% (12th)4.2% (35th)
INT rate (thrown)2.7% (86th)0.4% (3rd)
SUPLEX52.7% (92nd)59.1% (43rd)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Minnesota's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 13th in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Indiana's offense is middle of the pack in 3rd down conversion rate (82nd). That's a mismatch. Indiana's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 3rd in yards per carry allowed, and Minnesota's offense is bottom-20 in yards per carry (131st). That's a mismatch.

MinnesotaIndiana
Pass yards allowed / game168.9 (15th)194.3 (39th)
Rush yards allowed / game135.9 (52nd)98.9 (5th)
Yards per play allowed5.15 (24th)5.06 (19th)
Yards per carry allowed4.59 (52nd)3.39 (3rd)
Yards per attempt allowed6.12 (28th)7.62 (81st)
Success rate allowed38.2% (43rd)35.9% (20th)
Explosive plays allowed10.9% (63rd)9.5% (27th)
3rd downs allowed29.4% (13th)36.1% (49th)
Sack rate (generated)6.8% (54th)11.3% (3rd)
INT rate (generated)3.6% (27th)3.4% (30th)
SUPLEX allowed54.3% (74th)46.6% (24th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Indiana has the better number in 12 of 12. The biggest gap is open-field yards per carry, where Indiana ranks 19th and Minnesota 127th.

MinnesotaIndiana
Big Uglies: offensive line37.7 (134th)53.4 (42nd)
Big Uglies: defensive front51.8 (57th)67.2 (5th)
Line yards per carry2.05 (137th)3.19 (44th)
Line yards allowed per carry3.06 (92nd)2.21 (5th)
Second-level yards per carry0.48 (138th)1.05 (82nd)
Open-field yards per carry0.59 (127th)1.75 (19th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)26.1% (136th)15.6% (33rd)
Stuff rate (defense)19.3% (63rd)20.7% (42nd)
Power success (short yardage)59.4% (130th)61.3% (126th)
Power success allowed71.4% (71st)61.5% (20th)
Front-seven havoc allowed10.3% (101st)7.6% (31st)
Front-seven havoc13.6% (9th)14.4% (6th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Neither team has a real turnover edge: Minnesota is +0.6 a game and Indiana +0.5. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and Minnesota's takeaways lean on them (0.7 of 1.7 a game).

MinnesotaIndiana
Interceptions thrown / game0.86 (84th)0.13 (3rd)
Fumbles lost / game0.29 (20th)0.38 (42nd)
Giveaways / game1.14 (52nd)0.50 (6th)
Interceptions / game1.00 (22nd)0.88 (38th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.71 (24th)0.13 (129th)
Takeaways / game1.71 (16th)1.00 (88th)
Turnover margin / game+0.6 (26th)+0.5 (29th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Indiana has the more talented roster (37th in the 247Sports talent composite; Minnesota is 40th). Indiana also plays further above its talent: +19.6 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Minnesota's −0.2.

MinnesotaIndiana
Talent composite728.8 (40th)735.3 (37th)
Blue-chip ratio17.0% (45th)19.8% (42nd)
Players on roster113 (51st)98 (134th)
Rated by 247Sports100 (2nd)81 (56th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players17 (38th)16 (41st)
3-star players82 (4th)60 (74th)
Below 3-star1 (86th)5 (29th)
2026 transfers in19 (84th)17 (103rd)
Transfer share19.0% (112th)21.0% (104th)
SP+ vs. talent-0.2 (65th)+19.6 (4th)
Returning production64.9% (33rd)16.6% (104th)
Returning passing production97.1% (25th)1.9% (106th)
Returning rushing production1000.0% (1st)24.5% (89th)
Returning receiving production45.1% (55th)24.1% (94th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)28 (28th)29 (29th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes39.8 (37th)52.5 (54th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Indiana's roster is valued at $32.4M, Minnesota's at $21.1M. Indiana also plays better per dollar: +8.5 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −2.4 for Minnesota.

MinnesotaIndiana
Roster value$21.1M (43rd)$32.4M (15th)
Roster cost per win$4.2M (17th)$4.6M (23rd)
Projected wins per $1M0.25 (45th)0.31 (26th)
SP+ vs. payroll-2.4 (43rd)+8.5 (10th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Minnesota is +1.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is luck (+1.0). Indiana is +3.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+2.7). Minnesota's record is running 1.0 wins ahead of its play on luck alone, so it's not as good as the record says.

MinnesotaIndiana
RECEIPTS (total)+1.5 (30th)+3.0 (4th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.1 (85th)-0.4 (110th)
Roster RECEIPTS+0.5 (35th)+0.4 (43rd)
Coach RECEIPTS-0.1 (69th)+2.7 (4th)
Luck RECEIPTS+1.0 (13th)+0.4 (43rd)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Minnesota at Indiana: questions people ask

Minnesota vs. Indiana prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Indiana, 95% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Indiana's best matchup is its run-stopping front, 5th in line yards allowed per carry, against Minnesota's offensive line at 137th.

Where can I watch Minnesota vs. Indiana, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 PM ET at Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN). It's on CBS.

What's the projected score of Minnesota vs. Indiana?

SP+ projects Indiana 30–7. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Minnesota at Indiana?

DraftKings has Indiana −20.5, total 40.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Minnesota vs. Indiana series history?

Minnesota leads 40–26–3. Last meeting: Minnesota won 35–14 in 2021.

Who are the players to watch in Minnesota vs. Indiana?

Minnesota: Drake Lindsey (1,514 passing yards), TJ Thomas Jr. (331 rushing yards) and Javon Tracy (426 receiving yards). Indiana: Josh Hoover (1,745 passing yards), Turbo Richard (704 rushing yards) and Charlie Becker (726 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Minnesota at Indiana?

Minnesota's is Drake Lindsey (1,514 passing yards this season); Indiana's is Josh Hoover (1,745 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Minnesota and Indiana: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.