The official start of the college football season goes this weekend after seeing a handful of games played in what is now described as Week 0. The opening weekend of the season used to be reserved for what amounted to little more than a warm-up game for the bigger schools, but in the playoff era, we are now seeing some very good matchups in Week 1. Most of the bigger schools are playing on Saturday, but we do have a game on Thursday night that is well worth tuning into. The Ohio State Buckeyes, who lost in the National Championship Game last season will open their season on the road in what is a tricky little game. This is certainly one that you would expect the Buckeyes to win, but it’s never easy to face a team in their home opener, especially with fans back in the stadium after such a long absence. The Buckeyes are in as a 14-point favorite, with the O/U set at 63 ½. With all that in mind, let’s have a look at both teams and how they arrive to this matchup so you can bet against their NCAAF odds.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Game Analysis
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Match Info
- When: Thursday, September 2 at 8 PM EST
- Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
- TV: FOX
Why bet on the Ohio State Buckeyes
Like most of the other major schools in the Power 5, the Ohio State Buckeyes spent the offseason recruiting top talent to replace the players they lost to the NFL Draft. The biggest loss for Ohio State has to be Justin Fields, who made the move to the Chicago Bears. Replacing your QB is never easy at any level, as you never really know for sure what you are going to get until the new kid gets under center. That aside, you look at the last 10 meetings between these two teams and you see total dominance by the Buckeyes, winning all 10 by an average of 23 PPG. That said, the Buckeyes are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 meetings with the Golden Gophers. Each of their last 5 Week 1 games has gone OVER the point total.
Why bet on the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Like every team in college football, the Minnesota Golden Gophers had a disrupted season, managing to get in just 7 games in 2020. They closed out the year with a disappointing 3-4 record and don’t really figure to be in the hunt to win the division this season. Home field is not likely to be much of an advantage in this one, as they have lost each of their last 7 home meetings with the Buckeyes. Where you might be able to find some value when looking to wager on the Golden Gophers is against the spread. They have been particularly good in games that they started as an underdog, going 10-4 ATS in their last 14 as a dog. In games played at home, Minnesota has seen the OVER hit in 4 of the last 5.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
It might take a minute for all the new faces in the Buckeyes offense to get on the same page, but I still think they will do more than enough to cover the spread in this one. That said, I am looking at the UNDER as well.
College Football Betting Pick: Ohio State Buckeyes 42 Minnesota Golden Gophers 10
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