The No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes entered the 2019-20 college basketball betting season installed the odds on +350 favorites to win the Big Ten regular season title. The No. 16 Michigan State Spartans clocked in right behind them and the Maryland Terrapins at +440 along with the in-state rival Michigan Wolverines. The team linemakers overlooked was the +2500 Wisconsin Badgers, but that’s a story for a much different day. For now, Tom Izzo’s kids will be out to earn him his 10th B1G regular season title should it share or possibly win it outright. Should it get the best of the Buckeyes in this spot, it would mark the third straight and 16th overall in program history. That’s something OSU will be out to prevent after getting swept in the regular season and then bounced in the Big Ten tournament by Sparty last season.
This B1G tussle is set to tip-off on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. ET from the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The game will be broadcast live on CBS.
Odds Analysis
The crazy roller coaster of a ride the 2019-20 regular season proved to be for the Buckeyes is about to come to a merciful conclusion. While it won’t end with the program’s 21st Big Ten title, it could end with the team gaining momentum for something much bigger and better down the line. If you remember, OSU tipped off the season a house afire logging huge wins against teams like Villanova, North Carolina and Kentucky. Immediately following that triumph versus the Wildcats in Las Vegas, the season took a dramatic turn for the worse. A span of six losses in seven games saw it plummet out of the Big Ten title race. But that second loss to Minnesota looked to flip the switch and the Buckeyes are once again dominating in winning all but two of their last ten games with each occurring on the road at Wisconsin and Iowa.
Make it a point not to talk smack about the Buckeyes on social media; Chris Holtmann is watching. Hopefully he’s also devising a game plan to combat Cassius Winston and the scorching hot Spartans whose late-season push now finds it back in the thick of the Big Ten regular season title race. Since dropping a 67-60 decision at home to the Maryland Terrapins who dominated that game from the opening tip, MSU has morphed into a team nobody will want to get in front of in a few weeks. A single bucket away from winning and covering its last four games with the last two coming on the road at Maryland and Penn State, the Spartans are rounding into perfect form when it matters most. Clocking in 11-3 SU and 9-5 ATS as a host for the season, Sparty is going to be tough to get by on this very special Senior Night.
Key Player
Everybody fully knows Kaleb Wesson is ultimately the straw that stirs the Buckeyes drink. Whenever the junior is on from long range, Ohio State will be in an excellent position to win and cover the number for Buckeyes supporters. But OSU has shown time and time again that he needs some type of support to see every game all the way through. Recently, that player has been Duane Washington Jr. whose 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists helped allow for the Buckeyes to pull away from Michigan last time out to secure the home win and cover as 4-point favorites. Over the teams last four games, he’s averaged 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and made for the perfect complement to Wesson and the rest of the team. Should Kyle Young be able to return for this game, the Buckeyes will nearly have its full complement of players and will be tough for MSU to keep in check a full 40 minutes.
Prediction
Something tells me Ohio State is going to make the Spartans earn their B1G title in the lone matchup of the regular season between the two heavyweights. Whether it results in an outright win or cover for that matter remains to be seen. These teams are currently ranked nearly identical at KenPom.com with MSU owning miniscule edges in efficiency at both ends of the court. Even so, I’m taking the points with a Buckeyes squad I still truly believe is the toast of the B1G as a whole regardless of how the seedings play out in next week’s tourney. Look for Ohio State to use this game and result as a springboard for bigger and better come next weekend!
College Basketball Pick: Ohio State 66, Michigan State 63
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
