by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Nov 15, 2023
Game Time: 4:00 pm ET, Saturday, November 18, 2023
Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Where to Watch: Big Ten Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Minnesota +27.5, OSU -27.5; Over/Under: 49 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Minnesota +27.5, OSU -27.5; Over/Under: 49 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Minnesota +27.5, OSU -27.5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Season Record
Minnesota Golden Gophers: 5-5 (3-4) (3rd place, Big Ten West)
Ohio State Buckeyes: 10-0 (7-0) (2nd place, Big Ten East)
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Minnesota Golden Gophers: lost their last game on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers 49-30.
Ohio State Buckeyes: won their last game at home against the Michigan State Spartans 38-3.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Analysis
Minnesota is entering this game with a 5-5 record overall and they have a 3-4 record in their conference games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 1-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Purdue 49-30. Athan Kaliakmanis was the starting QB and he completed 18/42 passes for 292 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jordan Nubin led the team in rushing yards with 89. Daniel Jackson led the receivers with 119 receiving yards on 7 receptions. Devon Williams and Tyler Nubin each led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Danny Striggow led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Ohio State is entering this game with a 10-0 record overall and they have a 7-0 record in their conference games too. They are 5-0 in their home games, 5-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Michigan State 38-3. Kyle McCord was the starting QB and he completed 24/31 passes for 335 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing yards with 63 and 1 TD. Marvin Harrison Jr. led the receivers with 149 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 2 TDs. Malik Hartford led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Sonny Styles and Tyleik Williams each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Minnesota vs Ohio State Prediction
The current betting odds have Ohio State listed as a 27.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Ohio State has looked good this season with their 10-0 record overall and their 7-0 conference record. They have been playing a lot better in their games lately as their offense has been putting up more points in their games while their defense has also been giving up less points too. Minnesota has looked terrible this season with their 5-5 record overall and they are 3-4 in their conference games as they have struggled more against Big Ten opponents. They have also looked even worse in their games lately as their defense has fallen right off the map and if Minnesota doesn't have good defense, they don't really have anything at all since their offense isn't very good. Minnesota is going to struggle to put up points on this Ohio State defense like so many other teams have struggled to score on them lately and Minnesota won't be able to stop this Ohio State offense either with the way Minnesota has been on defense lately, giving up 49 points to Purdue in their last game. The best way to place a bet here is on Ohio State to cover the spread in this game.
Minnesota Ohio State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 18, 2023 (4:00 pm ET start time) is Ohio State 42 Minnesota 7.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Minnesota Golden Gophers: 11-2 ATS as a road underdog of 21.5 to 28 points. 29-18 ATS after allowing 42 points or more last game. 9-3 ATS after a game where they committed no turnovers. 6-1 UNDER when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 9-2 UNDER after 2 consecutive games where they committed 1 or less turnovers.
Ohio State Buckeyes: 2-4 ATS after allowing 125 or less passing yards in their last game. 24-31 ATS after scoring 35 points or more in a win over a conference rival. 8-2 UNDER in all games. 8-2 UNDER as a favorite. 6-1 UNDER against conference opponents. 6-0 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread.
Key Injuries
Minnesota Golden Gophers: A. Gousby (DB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. D. Taylor (RB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. P. Walsh (TE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. L. Brockington (WR) Out indefinitely - Leg. C. Osterman (WR) out for season - Undisclosed. B. Williams (RB) out for season - Undisclosed. J. Ruschmeyer (OL) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. D. LeCaptain (LB) out for season - Undisclosed. D. Jefferies (DL) out for season - Undisclosed.
Ohio State Buckeyes: L. Ransom (S) Ques Sat - Leg. T. Eichenberg (LB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. J. Proctor (S) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. J. Royer (TE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. D. Brown (QB) Late Nov - Ankle. N. Baudo (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Williams (RB) out for season - Undisclosed. T. Caffey (RB) Out indefinitely - Knee. J. Mitchell (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. K. Grayes (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. Bonsu (S) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. R. Stocksdale (WR) out for season - Knee. Z. Herbstreit (TE) out for season - Undisclosed. B. Christian (TE) out for season - Suspension.
Notable Quotes
“There’s no excuses, that was a bad night, not a bad life. They’ve always been explosive, they took advantage of every opportunity tonight. They played very well on offense, we didn't play very well on defense.” - P.J. Fleck after his team’s loss against Purdue in their last game.
“Marv is a special player, and we’re always going to find ways to get him the ball. Not that it’s always easy. There was a lot of double coverage out there tonight, and he still found a way to make plays.” - Ryan Day after his team’s win against MSU in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Minnesota Golden Gophers
WR Autman-Bell, Chris
WR Jackson, Daniel
WR Crooms Jr., Corey
TE Spann-Ford, Brevyn
QB Kaliakmanis, Athan
RB Williams, Bryce
Ohio State Buckeyes
WR Harrison Jr., Marvin
WR Fleming, Julian
WR Egbuka, Emeka
TE Stover, Cade
QB McCord, Kyle
RB Henderson, TreVeyon
Statistical Leaders
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Passing: A. Kaliakmanis (1582)
Rushing: D. Taylor (591)
Receiving: D. Jackson (681)
Touchdowns: D. Jackson (7)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Passing: K. McCord (2687)
Rushing: T. Henderson (648)
Receiving: M. Harrison Jr. (1063)
Touchdowns: M. Harrison Jr. (13)
Coaches:
Minnesota Golden Gophers: P.J. Fleck (7th season)
Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day (6th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
