Minnesota vs. Ohio State Prediction and Odds (Back Golden Gophers as Huge Underdogs)
By Matt De Saro
The No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes look to remain unbeaten at home when the Minnesota Golden Gophers come to town tonight for a Big Ten showdown.
The Buckeyes are chugging along and most recently crushed the Michigan Wolverines 68-57 on the road as three-point favorites in Ann Arbor. On the flip side, the Gophers are coming off a win over Penn State but it was their first victory in their previous six games.
The victory leaves them with a 12-10 record but just 3-10 in conference play and ranked 12th in the Big Ten. These two teams have met once before this year with Ohio State winning 75-64.
Here are the odds for this Big Ten brawl, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Minnesota vs. Ohio State Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread:
- Minnesota +12.5 (-110)
- Ohio State -12.5 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Minnesota +600
- Ohio State -900
Total: 137.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Minnesota vs. Ohio State Prediction and Pick
The Gophers will have a little bit of momentum tonight coming off that much-needed win over the Nittany Lions but face a much tougher opponent tonight in Ohio State.
I think their win over Penn State was nothing more than two bad teams playing and somebody having to win. It was just their third Big Ten win this year and they have been beaten by far worse teams than the Buckeyes. The Gophers lost by 13 to the Arkansas Razorbacks as one-point favorites recently for reference.
The Gophers enter this game as the 215th ranked scoring offense and 147th ranked scoring defense in the nation. They are terrible at rebounding (322nd), their free-throw shooting is below 73 percent, and don’t create turnovers on defense (326th).
Yes, this is a bad team. But, are they a bad bet at +13?
I am not so sure they are. Despite the Buckeyes 10-0 record at home, which should remain intact, the Gophers have done a very good job this year covering these types of situations. In their last three games as road underdogs of where the spread is between 10-19, the Gophers are 3-0 and 4-1 in their last five. Meanwhile, in-home games as favorites with a spread between 10-19, the Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS on the season.
Lean: Minnesota +13 (-110)
Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE