Ohio State vs. Minnesota predictions, odds, pick for College Basketball

01/06/2025 09:23 AM

The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-5, 1-2 Big Ten) are on the road to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) Monday night. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ohio State-Minnesota prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.

Here are the Ohio State-Minnesota College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-Minnesota Odds

Ohio State: -5.5 (-102)

Moneyline: -210

Minnesota: +5.5 (-120)

Moneyline: +176

Over: 137.5 (-105)

Under: 137.5 (-115)

How to Watch Ohio State vs. Minnesota

Time: 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT

TV: FS1

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread/Win

Ohio State is coming off a tough loss against Michigan State, but they were one a three-game win streak heading into that game. One of those wins was a 20-point win over a highly ranked Kentucky team. The Buckeyes won those games because of their offensive play. On their three-game win streak, Ohio State scored 95, 85, and 103 points. Putting up that amount of points goes a long way towards winning in college basketball. In Minnesota’s three conference games, they have allowed 84.3 points per game, so they are really struggling against Big Ten opponents. If Ohio State can have another good game on offense, they will be able to win.

Minnesota is not a good scoring team. They score the fewest points in the conference, and they are 328th in the nation in points per game. Their field goal percentage of 44.7 percent is the lowest in the Big Ten, and they have the second-lowest three-point percentage in the conference. In fact, the Golden Gophers are shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc in conference play. Ohio State does a really good job forcing tough shots, and getting teams uncomfortable on defense. If they can do continue that, Minnesota is not going to score a lot of points.

Why Minnesota Will Cover The Spread/Win

If Minnesota is going to win this game it is going to be on the defensive end of the court. Minnesota allowed just 65.1 points per game, which is the fourth-lowest in the Big Ten. As mentioned, they have not been as good in Big Ten play, so they definitely have to get better there. However, their play on defense has been very good in nonconference matchups. The good news is Ohio State has not been great at scoring in conference play. They are averaging just 67.0 points per game in their three Big Ten Games. If Minnesota can find a way to keep Ohio State under 70 points, they will have a great chance to cover the spread.

Dawson Garcia is the guy to watch for Minnesota. He averages 19.1 points per game, and 7.2 rebounds. He has scored at least 18 points in 11 of his 14 games this season, and he shoots over 50 percent from the field. The 6’11 senior has to be at his best Monday night. He is scoring 20.0 points per game in conference games, so he is playing well when it matters. If Minnesota wants to get their first Big Ten victory, Garcia is going to have to have a big game.

Final Ohio State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick

Ohio State is the better team. However, Minnesota has played three very tough conference games to begin their Big Ten part of the schedule. With that said, I still think Ohio State is going to come out on top. Minnesota just does not score well enough to win this game. I will take the Buckeyes to cover.

Final Ohio State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Ohio State -5.5 (-102)

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