Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Prediction & Match Preview - January 3, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers are hosting their Big 10 rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are fighting to stay in the Top 25 of the college basketball rankings after a 71-59 loss at No. 6 Wisconsin in their last game. Both teams, in fact, have lost two of their first four conference matchups. This looks to be a very evenly matched game that has the potential for a very close finish.

Match Details

Fixture: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Sunday, January 3, 2021, 5:30 PM ET

Venue: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Ohio State Buckeyes Preview

Indiana v Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes carry an 8-2 record into this matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but have struggled since beginning conference play. The Buckeyes currently sit in seventh place of the very competitive Big 10 conference, but looked strong in their last game, defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a whopping 36 points (90-54) and improving to 2-2 in Big 10 play.

Key Player - CJ Walker

CJ Walker has been providing the spark on offense for the Ohio State Buckeyes this year, and will be hoping for another big night against a tough Minnesota Golden Gophers' defense.

C.J. Walker controlled every aspect of Ohio State's 77-44 victory over Morehead State.Just ask the man who coached against him.“I think C.J.’s terrific. I told our guys, he’s gonna be the toughest point guard that we’ll play against all year."https://t.co/YJSyyNnQcO pic.twitter.com/IwCr54ppR1

— BuckeyeGrove (@OSUatRivals) December 3, 2020

Walker has averaged 9.4 points, 4.4 assists and three rebounds per game to this point in the season. If Walker can continue to run the point guard position with confidence, the Buckeyes could come out with a big win on Sunday.

Ohio State Buckeyes Predicted Lineup

G CJ Walker, G Duane Washington Jr., F Kyle Young, F Justice Sueing, F E.J. Liddell

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Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview

Minnesota v Ohio State

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have cooled down since the start of conference play, but have a great opportunity to build some momentum on Sunday against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Golden Gophers lost their last game against their Big 10 rival Wisconsin Badgers and dropped into seventh place in the conference standings. The Golden Gophers are in need of win on Sunday, and will be hopeful to bring their best performance.

Key Player - Marcus Carr

Marcus Carr is having a big year for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and it seems he is only heating up. Carr is averaging a team-leading 22.7 points and 6.2 assists per game, and has shown great hands on the defensive end with nine steals this season. Carr will need another strong showing against the Ohio State Buckeyes to get his team back in the Big 10 title hunt.

Marcus Carr appreciation post. pic.twitter.com/hl0FWjE1x6

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) December 29, 2020

Minnesota Golden Gophers Predicted Lineup

F Brandon Johnson, C Liam Robbins, G Gabe Kalscheur, G Both Gach, G Marcus Carr

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Ohio State vs. Minnesota Prediction

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have a great opportunity to prove their legitimacy as a top Big 10 team with a win on Sunday. Both teams are in the same position, having lost two of their first four conference matchups. This looks to be a very evenly matched game that has potential for a very close finish. Give the Minnesota Golden Gophers the slight edge, and expect them to come out with a victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Where to watch Ohio State vs. Minnesota

The game will be available for live stream on the B1G Network.