Ohio State vs Minnesota Betting Preview
College basketball handicapper JM Sports breaks down tonight’s Ohio State vs Minnesota showdown in the Big East. At the time of posting, the Buckeyes have opened as a 6.5-point road favorite over the home Golden Gophers, with the total sitting at 136 points.
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Thursday, January 27 | Big Ten Basketball Betting Notes |
---|---|
Point Spread: | Ohio State Buckeyes -6.5 vs Minnesota Golden Gophers |
Total: | 136 Points |
Game Time: | 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT |
Arena: | Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN |
TV: | ESPN |
Ohio State vs Minnesota Analysis
Ohio State hits the road again to take on the Golden Gophers of Minnesota in another Big Ten conference match-up. It is hard to believe that an 11-5 Minnesota basketball team that has played one of the top-50 hardest schedules in the country sits in the #12 ranking, not in the country, but in just the Big-10.
All five of Minnesota’s losses come to conference foes, losing to Michigan State twice already (#10 in the AP poll), Illinois (#24 in the AP poll), Indiana & Iowa (who are both outside the top-25, but still received votes in the ranking). That goes to show you what kind of talent is coming out of this conference this year, not to mention the fact that Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State are also all in the top-25 rankings currently!
Ohio State Buckeyes
Let’s talk about Ohio State, who have found themselves in the top 20 rankings currently and we aren’t talking about football! Ohio State is 12-4 on the season, while playing the 15th hardest schedule in the country according to Kenpom. Kenpom also has them as the #15 offense in terms of efficiency, but their defense isn’t some to look past either.
Ohio State has consistently shot the ball lights out, coming in at #10 in effective FG%, while making 38% of their shots from beyond the arc (#21 in D1), and finding themselves in the top 20 in 2 point FG%. They have shot a combined 51% in the last four games, including two games at 56.9% or better. On the year that has allowed them to put up almost eight points per game more then what the oppositions defense is allowing on average.
They have played 11 teams that have a defense in the top 140, including Thursday’s match-up and they are averaging just shy of 71 PPG in those match-ups, which may paint a picture of what is to come for Minnesota’s defense who finds themselves as the 11th best defense on the list.
Against the spread, Ohio State has struggled so far, they come into this game as a favorite, but while they are 8-1 against the spread after allowing less than or equal to 60 points in back-to-back games over the last three years, they also find themselves with a record of 7-9 against the spread this year. That 7-9 record also includes just two wins against the spread in their seven games on the road thus far.
Minnesota Golden Golden Gophers
Minnesota does find themselves a little high on the list on the offensive side of play, but averaging just 64 points in their last five games, Minnesota is going to have to find a way to put up some more points in order to compete with Ohio States caliber on the offensive end.
There are also multiple question marks coming into Thursday’s match-up, as Minnesota has three of their top six contributors sitting with literal question marks on the injured list, with Eric Curry listed as doubtful, while Jamison Battle and Eylijah Stephens listed as questionable, all three of which are used in at least 16% of Minnesota’s possessions.
Will Ramberg is also listed as doubtful, while Luke Loewe is listed as probably, while those two players aren’t exactly top tier contributors, it does speak to what kind of depth Minnesota will be capable of producing late in the game. Minnesota has thrived on playing smart, they find themselves ranked #14 in turnover percentage on the offensive side of the ball, and they have shut down the 3PT shot better than 335 other D1 teams, coming in ranked at #23.
Minnesota is 6-3 on their home court this season, but they have won just one out of their last five games. Although they do hold the head-to-head advantage in recent years, they have won three out of the four match-ups in the last three seasons, including both games on their home court. Regardless, this is one of the hardest challenges Minnesota has faced so far this season, as Ohio State holds the 2nd best offense they have seen and the 7th best defense.
Against top 100 ranked defenses Minnesota has put up 68 points on average, while posting a 3-5 record, which isn’t horrible when you look at the fact that Minnesota has put up just 66 points on average in the entirety of the season so far.
When you look at the top offenses that Minnesota has squared off against, they have played seven games with opponents ranked in the top 60 in offensive efficiency. In those seven games, Minnesota won just three and allowed almost 75 PPG on average, but they have allowed 75 or more points in five of the seven games, and some of those teams don’t compare with the firepower Ohio State can possess.
Ohio State vs Minnesota Prediction
Ohio State obviously sits in a better position in the conference standings currently but both of these teams are going to be fighting hard for the win. After this match-up, Ohio State heads to Purdue, against a top-10 Boilermakers team, who currently sits behind them in the conference standings. While Minnesota has a rough three game stretch starting with Thursday’s game against Ohio State before taking on #11 ranked Wisconsin, followed by the same Boilermakers team that will take on Ohio State.
Opinion : Ohio State (-6.5) ; Minnesota has multiple injury concerns coming into this game, and their lackluster performances against Big Ten opponents don’t favor the Golden Gophers keeping this game close.
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Ohio State vs Minnesota Preview from GoldSheet
College Basketball Stat Sheet
GoldSheet prepares a daily college basketball stat sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Ohio State vs Minnesota contest.
Happy Hour Tip-Off Show
Get your daily fix of college hoops betting information with Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of handicapping guests. The Happy Hour Tip-Off Show will broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT. Pull up a barstool and join us as we break down tonight’s college basketball card, including this Ohio State vs Minnesota clash, from a sports betting perspective.
NCAAB Odds Screen
Sportsmemo’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Wednesday’s NCAAB games, including this Ohio State vs Minnesota showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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