College Basketball Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-5) and Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-6) will clash in an exciting college basketball betting opportunity coming up on Monday, January 6 at 9:00 PM ET at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Buckeyes are slight favorites with a point spread at -5.5 (+100) at Bookmaker.

Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview

The Buckeyes hope to bounce back after having a 69-62 defeat against the 18th-ranked Michigan State Spartans in their latest battle. This loss snapped a three-game win streak leading into that matchup.

They were down 37-29 after the first half of action, but had a formidable effort in the second to pull a little closer. Micah Parsons led in scoring with 13 points on 56 percent shooting from the field.

Their offense was a bit stagnant at times, as they put up a 36.7 percent shooting percentage from the field and 25.9 percent from deep. They allowed the Spartans to make 43.6 percent of their shots, but held them to 16.7 percent shooting from three point range.

The offense from the Buckeyes ranks 61st in the nation for producing 81.3 points a game. Defensively they rank 143rd for allowing 69.8 points from opponents per game. This is a healthy spread, but they must shoot better from the floor to be more consistent.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview

The Golden Gophers were recently blown out 81-61 against the 20th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers in their latest match. This ended their two-game win streak, and are now 2-3 over their last five games.

They kept it tight in the first half, as they were down by just one at 28-27. However, the Boilermakers came out determined and had their way with their Golden Gophers. Dawson Garcia led their offense with 20 points on 53 percent shooting on the floor.

Both teams collectively shot well overall, as the Golden Gophers made a little less of their shots at 48.1 percent. From deep, they only made 23.5 percent and allowed the Boilermakers to make 44.0 percent. They did a good job at not committing too many turnovers at eight, but only forced the Boilermakers to have three.

The Golden Gophers are nearing the bottom in the nation when it comes to putting up 67.4 points a game, ranking 329th. Their defense is a little better at 44th, which amounts to 65.1 points allowed per game.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

Bookmaker has the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers betting odds ready, with the Buckeyes as 5.5-point favorites. Market predictions are suggesting the Buckeyes have a 74.2 percent chance of winning.

The Golden Gophers struggled against a top-25 team while the Buckeyes nearly had a win against their attempt. The Buckeyes are arguably worthy of entering the rankings at some point, but need to improve on both ends of the floor. Look for the Buckeyes to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes -5.5 (+100)