Minnesota vs Akron Prediction: The Gophers Need To Rebound Fast

Minnesota (1-1) needs a short memory after an embarrassing 38-13 home loss to Mississippi State. Instead of last week being a showcase game for the Big Ten and PJ Fleck's Gophers, six wins and a bowl appearance are now in jeopardy, considering the brutal Big Ten season ahead. Akron (1-1) should be the opponent that makes things all better, but Joe Moorhead's team is plucky enough to make the Gophers fight. The Zips opened the season with a 38-16 loss to Wake Forest, but they weren't bad.

It's the first time the two teams have played each other. Minnesota usually doesn't crush MAC teams, beating Buffalo by 13 last year, Eastern Michigan 25-6 in 2023, and Miami University 31-26 in 2021.

The Gophers are on their way to Washington next week to start the Big Ten season, and then they host Michigan.

Akron gets a quirky home game against UNLV next week, and then starts the MAC campaign at Central Michigan.

Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026 Game Time: 12:00 PM ET TV: BTN Location: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN – Week 3 Schedule, Picks – CFN Expert Picks: Week 3

Akron might not have a quarterback like Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor – who lit up the Gophers last week for three scores – but the Akron quarterbacks have been brilliant so far. The combination of Cibastian Broughton and Brayden Roggow completed 85% of their passes with six touchdowns and no picks. The Zips have the potential to dink and dunk Minnesota to death if the Gopher pass rush isn't generating any pressure.

Wake Forest lit up the Akron secondary like a Christmas tree. Gio Lopez and company hit the big plays, the little ones, and everything in between, getting up 38-3 before a few late Zip scores. Minnesota needs to take a deep breath and get Drake Lindsey going again. The Gopher star quarterback wasn't awful against Mississippi State, but he had a hard time getting anything moving deep. Akron doesn't have the pass rush to bother him.

Minnesota vs Akron Prediction, Betting Lines

This won't be a walk in the park if Minnesota pouts in any way after last week, but that's not how the program usually works under PJ Fleck. The Gophers will come out ready to play, but Akron really does have an efficient enough attack to keep this from getting out of hand.

Minnesota 37, Akron 13 Latest Consensus Line: Minnesota -23.5, o/u: 49.5 ATS Confidence (out of 5) : 2 Must See Rating (out of 5) : 2

Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.