The Gophers are gaining respect, from Vegas at least. 

After a 6-0 start to the season and a No. 20 ranking, the Gophers are 28.5-point favorites to Rutgers for this Saturday's road game. That's staggering, considering the Gophers were only 17-point favorites to Georgia Southern, a Group of Five team on its backup quarterback, earlier this season. 

The Gophers are 3-0 in the Big Ten with their first national ranking in the Associated Press top-25 poll since 2014. Rutgers, meanwhile, is 1-5 and winless in the conference after firing coach Chris Ash after Week 4.

The last time the Gophers were this heavy of favorites was 2010 against South Dakota, according to a spokesman for BetOnline.ag. He shared some insight on games from the past 20 years with a big Gophers advantage:

1. Sept. 16, 2006 vs. Temple, Gophers were 41.5-point favorites, won 62-0 and covered
2. Sept. 20, 2003 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, they were a 34.5-point favorites, won 48-14 but didn’t cover 
3. Sept. 17, 2005 vs. Florida Atlantic, they were 33-point favorites, won 46-7 and covered 
4. Sept. 21, 2002 vs. Buffalo, they were 31-point favorites, won 42-17 but didn’t cover 
5. August 30, 2003 vs, Tulsa, they were 31-point favorites, won 49-10 and covered 
6. Sept. 11, 2010 vs. South Dakota, they were 29.5-point favorites, lost 41-38 and didn’t cover 
7. Nov. 1, 2003 vs. Indiana, they were 28.5-point favorites, won 55-7 and covered 
8. Sept. 1, 2000 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, they were 27.5-point favorites, won 47-10 and covered 
9. Sept. 11, 1999 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, they were 26.5-point favorites, won 35-0 and covered 
10. Sept. 14, 2013 vs. Western Illinois, they were 26.5-point favorites, won 29-12 but didn’t cover