The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, OH. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Ohio State is favored by -23.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2200. The total is set at 44.5 points.
Here’s my Minnesota vs. Ohio State predictions and college football picks for Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Minnesota vs Ohio State Prediction
- Minnesota vs. Ohio State Pick: Ohio State 1H Over 17.5
My Ohio State vs. Minnesota best bet is on the Buckeyes to surpass their first-half team total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Minnesota vs Ohio State Odds
| Minnesota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+23.5 -110 | 44.5 -105o / -115u | +1100 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-23.5 -110 | 44.5 -105o / -115u | -2200 |
- Minnesota vs Ohio State point spread: Minnesota +23.5
- Minnesota vs Ohio State over/under: 44.5 points
- Minnesota vs Ohio State moneyline: Minnesota +1100, Ohio State -2200
Minnesota vs Ohio State Preview
Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview: Missing Run Game
Minnesota's top offensive player — running back Darius Taylor — may be absent this week in Columbus. Taylor missed Minnesota's Week 5 game against Rutgers with a hamstring injury and is considered questionable heading into Week 6.
His backup — junior A.J. Turner — suffered an early-season-ending injury.
That turned Minnesota into a one-dimensional offense against Rutgers, with just 15 running back carries for 45 yards.
As a result, the Gophers' attack has nearly come to a halt. Even with Taylor, they mustered 23 points against Buffalo and 14 in a loss at Cal before redeeming themselves with 31 against a porous Rutgers defense (one of those scores came after an interception put them at the eight-yard line).
The bright spot in Minneapolis has been the offensive line. It ranks third in PFF's pass block ratings and top-30 in adjusted line yards generated. If the run game can't get going, it's not because the offensive line isn't getting a push.
However, its real test comes this week.
Quarterback Drake Lindsay has been decent but not great and was largely ineffective at Cal. Now he plays the top defense in the nation in Week 6.
For the most part, Minnesota's defense has done its job. Nobody has breached 30 points, and one of its touchdowns surrendered to Cal came after a muffed punt. Teams earn scores against the Gophers – almost nothing is given easily.
Defensive end Anthony Smith has been one of the nation's best. Through four games, Smith has already logged six sacks (at least one in each contest) and 16 quarterback pressures. He's a legitimate problem at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds.
Cornerback John Nestor anchors a good secondary that's allowed just seven 20+ yard passing plays (ninth-best).
While these numbers haven't come across punching bag rivals, the difficulty of opponents is about to increase dramatically.
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview: Best Receiving Corps
It's almost an undeniable fact that Ohio State's defense is the best in the country.
The defensive line, comprised of NFL prospects like Caden Curry, Kayden McDonald and Kenyatta Jackson Jr., has terrorized even good offensive lines — like Texas'. It's a true nightmare rotation full of freaks and five-stars alike.
But get to the second level, and you're faced with a top linebacking corps in Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, plus the best all-around defensive player in football, safety Caleb Downs.
There's truly no weakness to exploit just yet.
The Buckeyes rank fifth in points per drive and continue to be impenetrable around the goal line. Hyperbole or not, it's almost easier to score on the Silver Bullets from outside the 20 than it is inside the 10.
The concerns about this being a truly championship runaway candidate stem from the offense. Quarterback Julian Sayin hasn't taken the top off a defense quite yet, despite having the game's best receiver in Jeremiah Smith.
Triple-team Smith and Sayin still has the best receiving corps in the country (Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss would be Alpha receivers in 125 other rooms).
Chip Kelly's absence has been felt in this program. While Bo Jackson (no, not that one) and CJ Donaldson have shown promise in the ground game, Ohio State averages less on its carries than last year.
At times, the offensive line can't get the necessary push, and the Buckeyes haven't produced a consistent 100-yard rusher this year. (Note: Jackson went for 109 on just nine carries against Ohio thanks to a 64-yard rush.)
The offense has time to figure things out thanks to the elite defense. But is this an offense worth betting on to make another National Championship run?
Minnesota vs Ohio State Pick, Betting Analysis
Ask any Buckeye fan, and they'll tell you this year's No. 1 pain point is the slow starts on offense. In Week 1, Ohio State led Texas 7-0 at halftime; in Week 3, just 13-3 against Ohio; and last week, the Buckeyes led just 7-3 over Washington.
Talent wins out — you can see what throwing to Smith does for this offense when Sayin finally finds the willingness to do so — but these first-half starts have been painful.
Not kicking off at noon at home might help.
For the first time since November 2023, Ohio State hosts a regular-season power-conference foe at night in Ohio Stadium. Yes, those are some heavy qualifiers, but the constant noon kickoffs against the Big Ten are brutal (thanks, FOX).
We've seen Ryan Day get his team up for games like these. Not just in the CFP, but also with consecutive evening wins over Michigan State and Minnesota in 2023 (combined 75-6) and with last year's playoff run (decimated Tennessee 42-17 at night).
If we're going to see the offensive splash against teams not named Grambling State, this is the first week we'll see it.
I'm choosing to take a position against a low first-half number. These recent slow starts have been addressed multiple times in press conferences, and this is the only time the Horseshoe will host a college football game in October.
Ohio State hits the road for the other two October games (bye in Week 9).
Minnesota will take a massive step forward in quality of opponent, and I believe it'll show early.
Look for Ohio State to find its talented receivers early and often to attack a talented but young Gophers secondary.
Pick: Ohio State 1H Over 17.5
