Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Expert Pick

Ohio State Buckeyes (15-11 SU, 10-16 ATS) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (16-9 SU, 20-4-1 ATS)

When: Thursday, February 22nd, 8:00 PM (ET)

Where: Williams Arena, MN, Minneapolis

TV: BTN

Point Spread: OSU +3.5/Min -3.5

Total: 139.5

Money Line: Ohio St. +140/Minn -171

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Notable Injuries

Buckeyes

• No Injuries Reported

Golden Gophers

• No Injuries Reported

Recent Form

Ohio State is 15-11 overall and 5-10 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes are 3-7 on the road this season, and they enter this game with a six-game road losing streak. They are 2-6 as an underdog.

The Buckeyes are coming off a 73-69 win over Purdue. Ohio State’s average scoring margin on the road is -2.6 points per game. So far, they have gone 0-3 in their last three road games, 0-5 in their last five, and 3-7 in their last 10.

Today’s over/under line of 139.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Ohio State’s games this season (143.7). In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2, with an average scoring total of 136 points.

As the underdog this season, Ohio State has an ATS record of 4-4. On the road, their ATS mark is 4-6 and over their last 10 road games, they are 4-6 vs. the spread. The Buckeyes have gone 2-1 ATS in their last 3 road games, and they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games as the underdog.

Minnesota has been a completely different team at home compared to on the road this season. They are 14-3 at home compared to 2-6 on the road, and their average scoring margin at home is +13.4 compared to -6.5 on the road. The Golden Gophers have won three straight games at home, and they are 11-1 this season when favored.

Overall, Minnesota is 16-9 this season, and they have gone 7-7 in Big Ten play. In their last game, they beat Rutgers 81-70. So far this season, the Golden Gophers are 9-2 in non-conference games.

Today’s over/under line of 139.5 is lower than the average over/under line of 143.4 in Minnesota games this season. The over/under record in their games is 14-11. In their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 with an average scoring total of 161 points.

Minnesota has been outstanding against the spread this season, going 20-4-1. At home, they have an ATS mark of 14-2-1. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Golden Gophers have gone 8-1-1 vs. the spread.

Analysis

In their most recent game, the Buckeyes’ offense tallied 73 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 74.4 points per game. Currently leading the team in scoring is Bruce Thornton, who comes into today’s matchup averaging 16.1. Jamison Battle also heads into the game with a PPG average of 13.9.

So far, the Buckeyes’ defense is ranked 114th in the country at 69.7 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Purdue, the Boilermakers finished with a field goal percentage of 48% and a total of 69 points vs. Ohio State.

In their latest game, Minnesota’s offense looked good, scoring 81 points against Rutgers. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 51% and made 23/34 free throws. The top scorer for the Golden Gophers was Pharrel Payne with 21 points, while Elijah Hawkins also chipped in with 16 points.

Currently, the Golden Gophers’ defense holds the 106th rank in the nation, allowing 69.3 points per game. In today’s game vs. Ohio State, the Minnesota defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Minnesota made 23 free throws vs. the Golden Gophers.

Betting Trends

• Ohio State has a 0-3 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 63 points per game while allowing 74. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 74 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Buckeyes have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-2.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 8-1-1.

Rich Crew’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Ohio State is certainly in a bounce situation after upsetting Purdue in their last outing. They hit the road to take on Minnesota who is a strong home team overall (14-3) and in conference play (5-2) and a stellar 6-1 versus the spread in those games. The Buckeyes are winless in seven road games and just 2-5 ATS. The Gophers hold an edge in most key shooting metrics and are my play here. Take Minnesota -3.5. Bankroll running low? Fix that problem by doubling your deposit using our special 100% bonus offer where you deposit $100 to $300 and use bonus code PREDICT100 at MyBookie Sportsbook! They’ll double your deposit! It’s not a crappy free play/match play either! It’s a REAL CASH bonus!