Ohio State vs. Minnesota Betting Preview, Odds, Predictions

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes will be traveling to TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday night at 8 p.m. EST to start off college football season.

This should be a great Big Ten matchup that features an always consistent, talented Ohio State team facing off against an experienced and hopefully improved Minnesota defense. New quarterback C.J. Stroud will look to get his team’s first win of the season as he tries to fill Justin Fields’ shoes.

Odds

The Buckeyes are a considerable favorite for the game, with a spread of -14 (-105). Minnesota’s spread of +14 has the odds -115. The moneyline stands at -600 for Ohio State and +435 for the Golden Gophers. The over/under is set at 63.5, with the odds are -110.

Betting Trends

Ohio State is 45-7 straight up in the 52 games against Minnesota. Minnesota is 0-7 in their last seven home games against Ohio State. The over has hit in 5 of Ohio State’s last six games and four of Minnesota’s last five.

In their last meeting in 2018, Ohio State took down the Golden Gophers 30-14.

Ohio State Looking to Pick Up Where It Left Off

After a great regular season making it to the Playoff, the Ohio State Buckeyes were taken down. They will be looking to avenge their loss by starting off with a commanding win in week one against the Gophers.

Stroud will be looking to impress in his first game as a starter. The offense is as strong as ever with one of the best offensive lines in the NCAA. Ohio State will need to establish the run behind this line and use their talented wide receivers to dismantle the Minnesota defense in all facets.

A New Story for Minnesota?

Minnesota is returning almost everyone on defense from last year. In college football, experience means a lot for teams that want to win the majority of football teams. Outside of Alabama, most teams can’t do this, which makes this season a positive for the Gophers.

Minnesota should focus mainly on the run with their starter, Mohamed Ibrahim. They have a very good offensive line and should try to use that to their advantage. Although they have an experienced quarterback, they need to use their passing game sparingly by beating the Buckeyes on the front line.

Prediction

Regardless of the experienced defense and solid offensive line, the Buckeyes should be able to pull this one out. They are too talented and experienced playing big games on the road. If Minnesota is able to stifle the early charge of Ohio State, then they may be able to make this a close one.

A close game on the road will be a territory that even this Ohio State team will struggle with. At that point, it will be who can use their experience to make the crucial plays in crunch time.