Ohio State vs Minnesota Prediction, Game Preview: Big Ten Tournament

Big Ten Tournament: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers prediction and college basketball game preview.

Big Ten Tournament: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers prediction and college basketball game preview.


Ohio State vs Minnesota Broadcast

Date: Thursday, March 11
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Network: BTN

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Ohio State (18-8) vs Minnesota (14-14) Game Preview

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Why Minnesota Will Win

Hopefully you lead a rich, fulfilling life and had something better to do than watch the Minnesota 51-46 win over Northwestern. It was ugly, sloppy, and it made the world a sadder place, but it was also a gut-check win for after almost letting it slip away.

The banged up Gophers struggled, but it got to the free throw line – that’s what they do – enough to make them in bulk. They were miserable on the line, but Northwestern was just as bad – Minnesota had more attempts.

That has to happen against the Buckeyes.

This isn’t the game Gopher team that whacked the Buckeyes 77-60 back in early January, but it can still force mistakes, it can still get on the offensive glass, and it – again – can still get to the free throw line.

Why Ohio State Will Win

Minnesota still can’t shoot.

It didn’t hit 40% from the field in any of the last four games, and that continued against Northwestern making just 37%. That’s not going to fly against the Buckeyes.

The Ohio State D isn’t a rock, and it’s not great at stopping the three, but that’s okay – Minnesota can’t shoot from the outside.

The Buckeyes don’t make enough mistakes to give the Gophers easy points, but …

What’s Going To Happen

Ohio State commits a TON of fouls.

The Gophers shot 29 free throws in the first meeting, and they’re going to get to the line that much again to stay alive. But Ohio State is better at shooting free throws, and it’s better at shooting, period.

Minnesota is playing with house money at this point, but it’s about to give it all back with one big Buckeye scoring run – and a LONG Gopher drought – to put this away.

Ohio State vs Minnesota Prediction, Line

Ohio State 73, Minnesota 64
Bet on college basketball with BetMGM
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Must See Rating: 3

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Ohio State at Minnesota odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will tangle in the Twin Cities with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-5, 0-1 Big Ten) in a Big Ten Conference battle at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday. We analyze the Ohio State-Minnesota odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Ohio State at Minnesota: Three things you need to know

1. The Buckeyes really burst onto the national scene by hammering North Carolina at the Dean Dome Dec. 4. With a victory the Buckeyes might ascend to the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the first time since 2010-11.

2. The Golden Gophers are a game below .500, but they have had a tough schedule during the early going. They have losses to Oklahoma, Butler, Utah, DePaul and Iowa, in the Big Ten opener.

3. Ohio State has covered the spread in seven straight games, including six in a row as a favorite.


Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!


Ohio State at Minnesota: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Ohio State 74, Minnesota 67

Moneyline (ML)

Ohio State (-333) is expected to win this one, but as a moderate favorite the moneyline isn’t worth a play, as you’d have to risk way too much for a small reward. A $10 bet on the Buckeyes to win outright would return a profit of just $3.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MINNESOTA (+8.5, -143) should be able to hang around, as it’s catching four buckets at home. Home teams are actually 11-0 straight up in Big Ten games to date, so Ohio State (-8.5, +120) is on upset alert here. It’s all on the line, as a solid win and it’s likely headed for the top spot in the rankings. But a loss, even against a sub-.500 Minnesota team, wouldn’t be shocking.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Minnesota to cover the spread and stay within 8 points in a loss or win outright would profit $7 if it does so.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 128.5 (-120) seems criminally low, but perhaps I am overvaluing the Buckeyes offense based on the fact they dropped a triple-digit total against Penn State in the conference opener. While the Under has been the trend for the Bucks, more often than not, the over is 4-1-2 in Minny’s past seven games against winning sides.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

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