The Ohio State Buckeyes look to get back to winning ways after surprisingly dropping two games in a row. Their opponents, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, will be in the same boat, having now dropped two games in a row.
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Ohio State Buckeyes (10-5) vs Minnesota (6-8)
Game Details:
- Location: The Schottenstein Center, Ohio State University
- Time: Thursday, January 12th at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: FS1
Betting odds:
- Spread: OSU -14.5
- Moneyline: OSU -1400 | MIN +800
- Total: O/U 137
Matchup:
Ohio State surprisingly lost to Maryland last time out despite another 20+ point outing from Brice Sensabaugh. The losses and narrow wins are becoming all too regular for a 10-win team at this point in the season, and there is no reason why Minnesota can’t challenge the Buckeyes and push them to a close finish.
The Gophers forced Nebraska to overtime before ultimately losing 81-79 on Saturday. They hit 10 3-pointers in the game on the back of a Dawson Garcia 19-point game. The 79 points scored were a season-high for Minnesota, but with Ohio State allowing around 65 points per contest, they’ll need to focus on stopping the likes of Sensabaugh and company rather than trying to win a shooting contest, where the Buckeyes are shooting 49% from the field.
Also playing in Ohio State’s favor will be the potential return of Zed Key. He missed their last time out and is said to be day-to-day. He averages over 12 points per game and nearly 8 boards, his absence was absolutely noted in Ohio State’s most recent loss.
Prediction:
Buckeyes 86 – 75 Gophers
Players to watch:
Dawson Garcia | Minnesota
Garcia has arguably been Minnesota’s most valuable player this season, averaging 14.6 points per game. He’s having a career year for the Gophers and had a staggering 15 boards against Nebraska. The 6’11 forward could see a similar stat line against an aggressive Ohio State team.
Bruce Thornton | Ohio State
Instead of focusing on Brice Sensabaugh, I want to pay attention to Bruce Thornton. He was riding a 6-game streak of 10+ points, before falling into a 3-game slump where he’s shot below 30% from the field on each occasion. This is unlike the 6’2 guard and with a slightly easier opponent this week, he should seize the opportunity to get back to scoring ways.
For more NCAAB coverage, like this Ohio State and Minnesota preview, visit amNY Sports.com
