The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes put their 18-game winning streak in the Big Ten on the line when they open the season against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. Not including conference championship games, the Buckeyes have not lost to a Big Ten foe in the regular season since falling at Purdue in October 2018. They are 12 wins shy of tying the all-time conference record of 30 straight Big Ten wins, set by Ohio State from 2012-15. Meanwhile the Golden Gophers went 3-4 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are 13.5-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Minnesota odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 62. Before making any Minnesota vs. Ohio State picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of more than $3,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 1 of the 2021 season on a 57-37 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Minnesota. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Minnesota vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Minnesota spread: Buckeyes -13.5
- Ohio State vs. Minnesota over-under: 62 points
- Ohio State vs. Minnesota money line: Buckeyes -600, Golden Gophers +425
- OSU: Chris Olave ranks sixth in OSU history in TD receptions (22).
- MINN: Mohamed Ibrahim led the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (153.7) last season.
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State has one of the best offensive tackles in the country in Thayer Munford. A 6-foot-6, 320-pound senior from Cincinnati, Munford has started 33 games and played 46 in four seasons in Columbus. He has been named to the AP preseason All-America second-team offense and anchors an offensive line that has three starters back from last season.
That line will be blocking for a physical freak of a running back in Master Teague III. A 5-foot-11 junior from Murfreesboro, Tenn., Teague owns a vertical jump of 40 inches, a broad jump of 11 feet and a 40-yard dash of 4.35. He has rushed for 1,409 yards and 13 touchdowns in 27 games.
Why Minnesota can cover
Minnesota brings back one of the most experienced teams in college football. The Gophers have 10 starters returning on each side of the ball, as well as two specialists. In terms of production, the team brings back 98.6 percent of its passing yards, 99.5 percent of its rushing and 92.4 percent of its tackles from last season. By contrast, Ohio State returns just 11 starters total.
In addition, Minnesota has an experienced quarterback in Tanner Morgan. The 6-foot-2 senior from Union, Ky., is 18-8 as a starter and ranks first in program history in completion percentage (62.0) and fourth in touchdown passes (46). He has completed 405-of-653 passes for 6,028 yards in his career.
How to make Minnesota vs. Ohio State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 60 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Minnesota vs. Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
