The Golden Gophers hope to be lousy hosts on Thursday as the Fairfield Stags pay a visit to Williams Arena on the college basketball betting menu.

The Golden Gophers currently sports a 2-0 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 0-0 ATS. The Stags are 1-1 and 0-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Golden Gophers produce a 0-0 OVER/UNDER record on the season, while the Stags have gone 1-0 against the number.



View Fairfield vs Minnesota Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook NCAAB line for this matchup, Minnesota sat as 8-point favorites.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Golden Gophers rated this week at No. 56 and the Stags sitting at No. 102. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 81-69 result in favor of the Golden Gophers.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Minnesota's No. 173 nationally ranked offense (70.5 points per game) against a Stags defense that sits as the No. 226 at 70 PPG. The Golden Gophers have been averaging 48% from the field, less than the Stags have managed so far this season (49.1% on average).

Defensively, Fairfield features the nation's No. 145-rated defense on the road, allowing 60 points per game. Minnesota, meanwhile, comes in at No. 186 nationally in scoring at home.

Fairfield lost its last outing, an 80-72 result against Providence on November 14. They failed to cover in that game as an 8-point favorite. Rakim Sanders went off for 25 points and added 9 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Providence handed Fairfield an 80-72 defeat at Webster Bank Arena.

Minnesota was a 71-55 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against South Dakota State. Minnesota earned a 71-55 victory over South Dakota State on Monday, getting 17 points from Trevor Mbakwe at Williams Arena.


Fairfield Stags Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-5
Before playing Holy Cross are 3-2
After playing Providence are 0-2
After a loss are 8-2

Minnesota Golden Gophers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Mount St. Mary's are 1-0
After playing South Dakota State are 4-2
After a win are 6-4

A few Stags at Golden Gophers trends to consider:
Fairfield is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Minnesota is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games


Next up:
Fairfield home to Holy Cross, Sunday, November 20
Minnesota home to Mount St. Mary's, Monday, November 21