The Ohio State Buckeyes (15-11) travel to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (16-9) on Thursday, February 22nd. This game will be played at Williams Arena in Minneapolis and televised on BTN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Ohio State Buckeyes Are Coming Off A Win
Ohio State is 15-11 overall and 5-10 in the Big Ten, and they enter this game as a 3.5-point underdog. So far this season, the Buckeyes have gone 10-1 in non-conference play compared to 5-10 in the Big Ten.
On the road, Ohio State is 3-7, and they have lost six straight games away from home. For the season, the Buckeyes have a scoring differential of -2.6 points per game on the road.
Overall this season, Ohio State has a record of 10-16 against the spread. On the road, they are 4-6 vs. the spread and have gone 2-1 ATS in their last 3 road games. As the underdog, the Buckeyes are 4-4 vs. the spread this year and have a mark of 5-5 in their last 10 games as the underdog.
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). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 136 points compared to their season average of 144.1 points per game. For the season, their over/under record is 14-12.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers Are Coming Off A Win
Minnesota enters tonight’s game as the favorite, as they have been in 12 of their 25 games this season. They have gone 11-1 when favored, compared to 5-8 when they are the underdog.
So far this season, the Golden Gophers have been much better at home, going 14-3 compared to just 2-6 on the road. They have won three straight games at home and have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games at home.
Minnesota has been outstanding against the spread this season, going 20-4-1 overall. At home, the Golden Gophers are 14-2-1 vs. the spread and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games as the favorite.
Today’s over/under line of 139.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Minnesota’s games this season (143.4). So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 161 points.
Ohio State Offense Breakdown
In their recent game, the Buckeyes’ offense concluded with 73 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 74.4 points per contest. The team’s top scorer is Bruce Thornton, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 16.1, while Jamison Battle also carries a PPG average of 13.9 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Thornton (G) | 16.1 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
| Jamison Battle (F) | 13.9 | 5.2 | 1.0 |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. (G) | 13.8 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
Minnesota Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 81 points vs. Rutgers. Overall, they hit 51% of their shots from the field and went 23/34 from the free-throw line. Leading the team in scoring was Pharrel Payne with 21 points. Elijah Hawkins also added 16 points for the Golden Gophers.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Garcia (F) | 17.5 | 6.4 | 2.0 |
| Cam Christie (G) | 11.3 | 3.6 | 2.4 |
| Mike Mitchell Jr. (G) | 10.6 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
Ohio State Team Defense
The Buckeyes’ defense is presently ranked 111st nationally, allowing an average of 69.7 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.9 threes per game vs. Minnesota. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 34.9%.
Minnesota Team Defense
So far, the Golden Gophers’ defense is ranked 105th in the country at 69.3 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights finished with a field goal percentage of 51% and a total of 70 points vs. Minnesota.
Buckeyes vs Golden Gophers Trends
- Across the Buckeyes last five road games, the team averaged 64 points per game while allowing 76. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 0-5 straight-up.
- When looking at their past three home matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 81 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
- As the betting underdog, the Buckeyes have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Ohio State posted a straight up mark of 3-7 in these matchups.
- Minnesota has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
Buckeyes vs Golden Gophers Prediction
Not only do we have the Golden Gophers winning this one by a score of 76-68, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Golden Gophers at -3.5.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 139.5, and our model predicts the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 22, 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers, Ohio State Buckeyes