Minnesota-Eastern Illinois score predictions from Bring Me The Sports staff
The Gophers are heavily favored to open their 2026 season with a commanding win.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are set to face off against Eastern Illinois in their 2026 season opener on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT. According to the Bring Me The Sports staff, Minnesota is favored to win by as many as 43.5 points, with predictions ranging from 56 to 60 points. Tony Liebert predicts a huge Minnesota victory of 56 to 7, while Will Ragatz sees a closer game of 38 to 10.
Jonathan Harrison predicts an easy 45-0 win for Minnesota. The Gophers have not lost to an FCS opponent since 2011, and they will be without starting quarterback Drake Lindsey, but will have transfers Noah Jennings and TJ Bush Jr. stepping in. The staff predicts a dominant performance from Minnesota, who will likely shut down Eastern Illinois' offense and secure a victory on a season-opening Thursday night.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
