Minnesota and Northwestern are on opposite ends of the Big Ten West standings.

The Gophers are 3-1 and tied for first with Iowa after winning their last three in a row against conference foes. Their only Big Ten loss is to No. 5 Ohio State.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, are 1-3 in league play and ahead of only Nebraska, a team that beat them 56-7 earlier this month. Their only league win is against 0-4 Rutgers.

Northwestern needs to find three more wins in its last five games to earn a bowl bid this season. Winning this one will make that goal much more achievable.

Will the Wildcats win to give them three of the last four in this series against the Gophers? Or will Minnesota post a win to keep them in the driver's seat in the West?

Our staff breaks it down and makes their predictions.

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My take: I expect Northwestern to be better on offense than they were against Michigan, and for the defense to keep up what they've been doing the last couple weeks.

The team that gets on the scoreboard first will probably be in control the rest of the day. Neither team has the offense that can play very well from behind.

Northwestern will probably defer if they win the toss, but their first offensive drive will be super-telling on how the game will go. They need to set the tone for this game, and for the rest of the season. Any points they can get will be huge.

If Northwestern gets on the board first, its' going to be a good day for the Cats.

Fearless forecast: Northwestern 24 Minnesota 17

Confidence level: 6 (out of 10)

My take: Northwestern faces a stiff challenge in a Minnesota team that is very experienced and also playing the best of any team in the Big Ten West. Minnesota is going to want to make this a grind-it-out game and that really hasn’t been Northwestern’s strength. Their offense has been very feast or famine. Grinding out drives really isn’t in their repertoire, and that is going to pose problems against a very physical Golden Gophers squad.

Head coach Pat Fitzgerald harped on it all week, if Northwestern wants to upset Minnesota, they need consistency. It can’t be 75 yards or zero. There needs to be some seven- and five-yard gains mixed in. Northwestern’s offense under Ryan Hilinski hasn’t shown the ability to score consistently, without the help of penalties, against teams that aren’t the Ohio Bobcats.

The Wildcats just can’t expect their defense to hold teams to so few points every week. The defense played well last week, but all Michigan needed was eight points to win the game. Expecting that from your defense, while also asking them to be on the field for 40 minutes because the offense cannot stop going three-and-out, is a nearly impossible task.

Eventually, the defense runs out of gas. Paired with mistakes by the offense and special teams, this game will get away from Northwestern.

Fearless forecast: Minnesota 24 Northwestern 10

Confidence level: 10

My take: This is a prime spot for a Northwestern upset of the Golden Gophers. Minnesota is having a strong season, sitting at 5-2, but with few convincing wins beyond a 34-16 handling of Maryland last week. The Wildcats seem to be reeling after a 33-7 loss at Michigan, but the close first half off a win over Rutgers proved that this defense can play at a high level when the offense gives it a chance and some time off the field.

The Gophers defense has been playing well, but their offense is in the middle of the pack in the NCAA when it comes to putting points on the board. Senior quarterback Tanner Morgan has been subdued so far this year, throwing for only 149 yards per game, with six touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. This will allow the Northwestern defense to key in on the Gophers rushing attack and create the kind of grind it out game that breeds Ryan Field upsets.

Fearless forecast: Northwestern 24 Minnesota 20

Confidence level: 7

My take: This is a winnable game for Northwestern. The question is whether they can put together all three phases and come out with the W against a team that has been much more consistent than they have all season, save for that inexplicable loss to Bowling Green last month.

Minnesota is a better running team than Northwestern, and they're better at stopping the run. That might be enough to decide the outcome right there. They also have a massive and veteran offensive line that can wear down a defense if they hold onto the ball all day.

I think Northwestern's defense can contain Minnesota's ground attack and make the up-and-down Tanner Morgan beat them through the air. My chief concern is whether the offense will be able to execute consistently and put up enough points to win.

The Gophers have the No. 17 defense in the country, and they're No. 5 against the run. Northwestern, meanwhile, has yet to score more than 21 points against a Power Five opponent and has put up just seven in two of its last three outings. That's not going to cut it on Saturday.

I feel like the defense will be up to the task, but I have very little confidence in an offense that can't sustain drives and can only score with big plays. And if it turns into a tight game that comes down to making a field goal…

Fearless forecast: Minnesota 24 Northwestern 21

Confidence level: 6