Everybody knows the old gambling adage. Good teams win, and great teams cover. In a world where sports gambling is becoming regulated in more states seemingly every month, there becomes more to sports watching than simply rooting for your favorite team or player.
Nowhere is this mentality more prevalent than in college sports, as most people watching are either hometown fans or alumni of a given school, or they have money on the game one way or the other and are looking to win some bets.
With the college football season coming closer and closer every day, MinnesotaBets - your home for Minnesota sports betting - decided to see which teams would be best to bet on against the spread by looking at which Big Ten coaches have historically had the most success against the spread.
Best Big Ten Coaches Against the Spread
Nebraska plays Minnesota on Thursday, August 31st this year to kick off the Big Ten season, which gives bettors plenty of time to decide who will get their money during the upcoming year.
For the purposes of the study, only games from the coaches' current stint were considered and teams with new coaches entering 2023 were not included in the rankings.
Golden Gophers Bettors Love P.J. Fleck
While Minnesota sportsbook apps are not yet regulated, fans of the Golden Gophers can be happy knowing that their team is one of the best at covering the spread under head coach P.J. Fleck. The Gophers were second overall in the Big Ten West Division last year with a 9-4 record, so they are also proficient for moneyline bettors.
Coming in first on the list is Illinois coach Bret Bielema, whose ATS record of 15-9-1 in his smaller sample size gives him a cover percentage of 62.5%. Fleck is 39-29-3, trailing Bielema slightly with a 57.5% cover. James Franklin, Ryan Day, Kirk Ferentz and Jim Harbaugh join Bielema and Fleck with marks over 50%.
Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines and Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to have the strongest seasons as they are the two current favorites to win the Big Ten Championship, with Fleck and the Wolverines coming in at +4000 at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the conference.
When these teams meet up in the regular season Minnesota will likely be a big underdog in both games, with a win unlikely. Bettors on the games should still have no concerns placing their money on Minnesota, as history dictates that win or lose PJ Fleck is likely to have his team competing well and will put them in a great position to cover the spread. We will have all of the best Minnesota sportsbook promo codes when they become available in the state.
