Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/6/25
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Buckeyes versus the Golden Gophers? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on FS1. The game will be played at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN. In this Big Ten matchup, Ohio State is favored bt -5.5 vs. Minnesota. The over/under for the game is 137.5 points.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Minnesota Golden Gophers +5.5
This game will be played at Williams Arena at 9:00 ET on Monday, January 6th.
WHY BET THE MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Golden Gophers.
- Not only will Minnesota pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +5.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 137.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Can Ohio State Secure a Road Victory?
Ohio State fell to 9-5 on the season after a 69-62 home loss to Michigan State on Friday. The Buckeyes were -2.5 favorites going into the game but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the O/U line of 149.5.
Ohio State trailed 37-29 at halftime but came back to outscore Michigan State 33-32 in the second half. However, their efforts weren’t enough to secure the win.
Ohio State’s offense struggled in their last game, putting up just 62 points on 36.7% shooting from the field. They hit only 25.9% of their threes, going 7-for-27 from deep, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 43.3%.
Szymon Zapala was a bright spot, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in 23 minutes. Jaden Akins added 14 points, while Micah Parrish contributed 13 points, hitting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Ohio State’s defense held their opponent to 69 points on 36% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 15/33, or 45%.
From beyond the arc, Ohio State allowed just 7 threes on 27 attempts, a 25% shooting rate. Their opponent also shot 68% from the free-throw line, hitting 11 of 16 attempts.
Does Minnesota Have What it Takes at Home?
Minnesota’s season record dropped to 8-6 after an 81-61 home loss to Purdue on Thursday. The Gophers entered the game as +5.5 underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 142, surpassing the over/under line of 135.5.
After trailing just 28-27 at halftime, Minnesota allowed 53 points in the 2nd half while scoring 34. The Gophers will need to tighten up defensively moving forward.
In their latest game, the Golden Gophers struggled offensively, scoring just 61 points while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.9%, but they had a tough time from beyond the arc, hitting only 4 of 17 threes for a 23.5% rate. Free-throw shooting was also an issue, as they connected on just 7 of 16 attempts, a 43.8% performance.
Inside the arc, Minnesota was more efficient, making 21 of 35 two-point attempts for a 60% success rate. They recorded 9 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists. Fletcher Loyer led the way with 24 points, shooting 80% overall and 66.7% from three, while Braden Smith added 20 points and 10 assists, hitting 5 of 11 threes.
Despite Minnesota’s defensive struggles, they managed to limit their opponent’s three-point shooting, holding them to just 4 made threes on 17 attempts, a 23% shooting rate. The Golden Gophers also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted only 7 shots, shooting 43%.
Overall, Minnesota allowed 81 points on 48% shooting from the field, with their opponents hitting 60% of their two-point attempts (21/35). The Golden Gophers gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.