Ohio State vs. Minnesota: Forecast and Odds (11/18/23).
Ohio State vs. Minnesota begins this Saturday, November 18, 23 at 4 p.m. EST in Columbus, Ohio. It is the Buckeyes’ home opener. Discover our best bet on under 49 for Minnesota vs. Ohio State, which should be a defensive slugfest, below.
Ohio State vs. Minnesota Expectation
With a decisive victory over Michigan State under their belt, the Buckeyes have one more opponent left before facing their bitter rival, Michigan. A week before the playoff championship game, they must make crucial decisions about how to handle the lowly Minnesota Gophers and how much they want to play. That provides value to an under in what ought to be a cautious game plan and makes for an interesting betting angle.then outstanding defensive performance.
At this stage of the season, Ohio State’s defence has been their only reliable source of success. The Buckeyes’ defence has been outstanding, despite Kyle McCord’s play being the epitome of a roller coaster. Overall, Ohio State’s defence is currently ranked third in defence points per opportunity, eighth in defence explosiveness, 12th in defence success rate, and 54th in havoc.
The Buckeyes’ front seven will have to maintain their excellent performance against Minnesota because the Gophers are among the best run-blocking teams in the country. Currently, Minnesota is the 12th-heaviest running team in the NFL, but it is only ranked 80th in Rush Success Rate, 103rd in PPA, and 115th infiery nature. The Buckeyes, who rank 12th in Def Rush Success Rate, 13th in Def Rush PPA, and 50th in Explosiveness, stand to benefit from this.
Although having to stop the pass is essentially nonexistent, it’s important to note that the OSU secondary, which ranks highly in those same metrics through the air, can hold its own on an island. The same cannot be said for Minnesota’s defence, which ranks 64th in explosiveness and 83rd in defence pass success rate. Nevertheless, because of their scheduling position, they benefit from Ohio State switching back to a more run-heavy game plan.
This is more advantageous for the Gophers, who rank 17th in Def Rush Explosiveness, 47th in Def Rush PPA, and 62nd in Def Rush Success Rate. They are much better at stopping the run than the pass. The earthly combathas actually been a weakness for the Buckeyes, who remarkably rank 126th in explosiveness, 84th in PPA, and 52nd in rush success rate. This is largely due to McCord’s incapacity to extend the field, which allows defences to stack the box and challenge him to outrun them.
