Ohio State modest favorite in away contest vs. Minnesota Thursday night

The Ohio State basketball squad is no doubt chomping at the bit to get back on the court Thursday night after being idle for over a week. The Buckeyes last played a game last Tuesday night against IUPUI, then had the weekend’s game vs. Nebraksa postponed because of COVID-19 protocols within the Huskers’ program.

So yeah, the team is probably tired of practicing against itself, especially after having endured a three week layoff with COVID-19 cases itself in December.

Minnesota has been an up and down team this season. The Golden Gophers surprised everyone with a hot start under new head coach Ben Johnson, winning its first seven, and its first ten out of eleven. Since Big Ten play though, Minnesota has struggled. It sits just 2-5 in the league and has lost four of its last five.

And the sportsbooks have taken note when you look at the line for the game against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have had to start and stop the season here recently because of COVID-19, but have still put together a pretty good body of work. OSU is 5-2 in Big Ten play and within arms reach of the top of the conference.

Based on the direction both teams are headed, our friends at Tipico Sportsbook have Ohio State favored by 6.5 points heading into the contest. That’s honestly a lot of points to give on the road in the Big Ten, and we’ll have to see just how healthy and on top of its game OSU is when things tip-offat 8 p.m in Williams Arena.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

It’s a key, key game for the Buckeyes as they try to solidify a run towards a shot at the Big Ten title. Holding serve at home is important, but more often than not, conference teams that win the most games on the road end up making a run for special things in the Big Ten.

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