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.
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