The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the hottest teams in the country, and an upset win at Purdue last week vaulted them atop the Big Ten standings. Ohio State has moved into the top-10 nationally and wants to keep it rolling next time out against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State has played well of late and has a nice overall record but lacks a bunch of signature wins. The Nittany Lions’ previous win over Ohio State was their best of the year and they could really use the regular season sweep in order to get the attention of the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Penn State is at home in this game which should give it a decent chance at winning this game, but Ohio State has been playing really well of late and will aim to avoid a loss which could allow Michigan State and Purdue climb back even with it in the conference standings. This game has all sorts of ramifications and is critical for both sides.
At 8 p.m. ET, tune into BTN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, February 15, 2018, at the Bryce Jordan Center.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Ohio State is 22-5 straight up and 14-11 against the spread. The Buckeyes have covered in all five of their road games this season and want to keep that up. Ohio State is 11-9 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Penn State is 18-9 straight up and 12-10-1 against the spread. The Nittany Lions have covered in seven of 12 attempts at home on the year. Penn State is 2-4 against the spread as the underdog.
The Buckeyes have hit the “under” on the scoring total in 19 of their 25 games, while Penn State has hit the “under” three more times than the “over,” so keep that in mind when the total is released.
Last Matchu
Penn State pulled off the upset against Ohio State during the teams’ first meeting this season on January 25th, winning 82-79 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Tony Carr. The victory marked the Nittany Lions’ first win over a ranked opponent this season.
The thrilling last-second shot was even more impressive considering Carr had two Ohio State defenders in his face as he let it go. The Nittany Lions were 11-of-14 from behind-the-arc in the win and Carr finished with a team-high 28 points.
Ohio State was led by junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, who had 25 points for the Buckeyes in that first matchup. He had a clutch shot of his own down the stretch, tying the game with a three-pointer with five seconds to go before Carr’s incredible buzz-beater.
Scheduling Situation
This rematch with Ohio State comes in the midst of a tough stretch for the Nittany Lions, who will face three straight ranked opponents starting Thursday. After taking on the Buckeyes in this matchup, Penn State will travel to Indiana to take on No. 6 Purdue before traveling back home to face No. 22 Michigan next Wednesday.
The Nittany Lions are 1-2 against ranked teams this year with losses to No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 5 Michigan State. They enter this stretch with a three-game winning steak and an 8-6 conference record against Big Ten foes.
With their recent success, the Nittany Lions have increased their chances of an NCAA tournament berth. An upset against one or two of these ranked teams would significantly boost their chances in getting there so expect Penn State to be plenty motivated in this one.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Ohio State has been on a roll, but look for it to end here. The Buckeyes are a good team but may not be quite as good as their ranking, while the Nittany Lions are underrated. Penn State absolutely needs this game to get in the March Madness conversation and it will secure it.
The Nittany Lions could be the underdogs, so take them on the moneyline for the straight up win.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Penn State 74, Ohio State 72
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