The Ohio State Buckeyes are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament unless they start picking up wins in a hurry. Ohio State is 13-10 on the season and has struggled throughout the year, winning just three games in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines haven’t looked much better. Michigan was thought by some to have a chance to win the Big Ten this year, but now the team is hoping to just make the NCAA Tournament. A Wolverines victory here would be huge for their at-large chances.
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College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State hasn’t been good over the last few weeks. The Buckeyes have won just once in their last three games, but have been even worse since 2017 rolled around. Ohio State has only won three times in 10 games since the calendar rolled over and all of those wins came by single digits.
Michigan didn’t cover its first five games in Big Ten play but has since rebounded to cover three of its last four. The Wolverines scored a huge win in that time, blowing out Indiana by 30, but don’t have another solid Big Ten win aside from that. Seven of their last 10 games have gone over the total this season.
Matchup to Watch
The Wolverines have a Top 50 defense in terms of points allowed per game and this unit will be asked to play a big part in helping Michigan knock off Ohio State. Michigan has held opponents to a respectable 65.8 PPG, but while that may appear to be indicative of a stronger defense, the deeper we dig the less likely that seems to be.
Michigan has allowed at least 85 points to three different Big Ten opponents and the conference isn’t exactly known for having barn-burner offenses. The reason this defense doesn’t typically give up a lot of points is because of a slow, methodical offense, but opponents are able to shoot great against them. Opposing teams have hit 47.3 percent of their field goals and 42.4 percent of their three-point attempts against this squad, both totals that are in the bottom 30 nationally.
Their opponents have been impressively consistent in terms of the number of points they put up. Ohio State has scored anywhere from 66 to 78 points in 10 Big Ten games and it seems safe to say that the Buckeyes will reach a number somewhere in the middle of that here. The Wolverines will limit possessions, but the Buckeyes will be able to convert on their chances as well.
Look Ahead Situation
Although it’s hard to imagine these teams to ever look past each other considering their history, Michigan has a pretty tough run following this game. The Wolverines host Michigan State, travel to Indiana, host Wisconsin, and then head to Minnesota in the next two weeks and all of those teams have a better record than the Buckeyes.
Conversely, Ohio State has a much easier path. The Buckeyes do have road trips against Maryland and Michigan State, but neither team has been unbeatable this season. Bookending that, they host Rutgers and Nebraska, and the Buckeyes should be favored in each of those games.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Wolverines will be a favorite to win this rivalry game, but don’t count the Buckeyes out. This team is better than its record indicates and it has played almost every one of its conference opponents close thus far. Ohio State has a much better chance to win this game than one would think and the moneyline odds on the Buckeyes will probably be worth putting some cash down on them.
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State 73, Michigan 69
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