Bet On College Basketball: OSU vs Minnesota
Ohio State had its 39-game home winning streak snapped when the Michigan State Spartans came into Columbus and beat them on Saturday.
NCAA Basketball Matchup: Ohio State vs. Minnesota
7:00 PM EST
College Basketball Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: Ohio State -8
Over/Under: 130
The Buckeyes loss opened up the Big Ten standings once again. Tubby Smith’s Minnesota Golden Gophers have suffered several key injuries this year, but the Gophers are a tough team to beat at home.
Can Ohio State get back on track?
Ohio State was all out of sorts offensively on Saturday. Michigan State held the Buckeyes to 26% shooting. The Buckeyes seemed to be playing one-on-one basketball rather than running the team’s offensive sets. Jared Sullinger had a triple double on Saturday, but not the kind you want to have.
Sullinger had ten turnovers as the Spartans defense frustrated him into making multiple silly decisions. William Buford and DeShaun Thomas were both 2 out of 12 from the floor. If Ohio State is going to be successful this year, they must learn to stay inside the team’s offense on a consistent basis. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Defensively, Ohio State is giving up just 56.7 points per game.
Minnesota put up a valiant effort on Thursday night, but they fell to Wisconsin 68-61 in overtime. Rodney Williams has become the Golden Gophers team leader now that Trevor Mbwake is out for the season with an injury. Williams averages 11 points and five boards per game, and he knocks down 57% of his shots from the floor.
Julian Welch has established himself as a great three-point shooter. Welch stretches the defense by knocking down 45% from beyond the arc. As the season has gone along, Minnesota has improved on the defensive end.
Opponents are shooting just 41.2% against the Golden Gophers.
Ohio State is the much more talented team, but they have struggled on the road this year. I think the Buckeyes win this one, but it should be a close game.
Prediction: Ohio State 69 Minnesota 63
