Buckeyes heavily favored for primetime home showdown vs. Minnesota

COLUMBUS — Ohio State went on the road for the first time this season and left Seattle with an emphatic 24-6 win over the Washington Huskies.

Now the Buckeyes return home for their only game in the Horseshoe in the month of October. They’ll face Minnesota in the annual Homecoming game, and they’ll do so as a 23.5-point favorite, according to the folks at BetMGM Sportsbook.

The total has been set at 44.5, so the book is thinking of this as a 34-10 Ohio State win heading into game week.

Minnesota enters the game having just beaten Rutgers. The Golden Gophers are 3-1 on the season, with two wins over Northwestern State and Buffalo, a loss at California and then the aforementioned win over Rutgers.

Ohio State has been great as a heavy home favorite under Ryan Day, with the lone exception coming in the now-infamous loss to Michigan at the end of last regular season.

Ohio State vs. Minnesota betting trends, stats

+ Ohio State is 3-1 against the spread this season. The Buckeyes covered against Texas, Grambling State and Washington but failed to cover the spread by 0.5 points against Ohio.
+ Minnesota is 1-3 against the spread so far this season.
+ The total has gone under in three of the Buckeyes first four games.
+ The OVER is 2-1-1 in the Gophers’ first four games.
+ Since 2017, PJ Fleck’s first season, Minnesota is 12-10 against the spread as an away underdog.
+ Ohio State has not lost to a team that was formerly in the Big Ten West in the Ryan Day era.
+ Ohio State is 26-15-2 against the spread as a home favorite under Ryan Day.
+ The Buckeyes have won 13 straight over the Gophers, dating back to 2001. The NCAA only recognizes five straight wins because one of the 13 came during the 2010 season, which was vacated.