As great a start Chris Holtmann’s Ohio State Buckeyes have gotten out to, the team will be looking to get back in the win column in B1G play on Friday night when they welcome the Wisconsin Badgers into C-Bus for a crucial conference clash. Fresh off an embarrassing non-conference loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers, you can bet your bottom dollar that Kaleb Wesson and company come ready to play. But the Badgers enter this tilt on a solid streak of their own having rattled off a pair of wins and covers since returning from winter break. Though the recent trend of this rivalry has seen points hit the board, look for the offense’s to have their work cut out for them this time around.
This showdown between Big Ten heavyweights will take place on Friday, January 3, 2020. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. ET from Value City Arena in Columbus, OH. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
CBB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Since dropping a 72-65 decision to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on the road back on December 11, the Badgers have logged a pair of wins and covers against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Tennessee their last two times out. Wiscy blew a 43-41 game at the half wide open in the second half by outscoring the Panthers 40-23 to log the 83-64 win and cover as 16-point favorites. D’Mitrik Trice had his best showing of the season with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. That triumph was followed up with a wire-to-wire win against the Volunteers in a game the Badgers exploded out to a 38-24 first half lead and then coasted the rest of the way to log the 20-point victory as 3.5-point underdogs. It was their first win on the true road that moved them to 1-2 SU and ATS for the season.
The Buckeyes kicked off the season tallying impressive wins against Cincinnati, Villanova, North Carolina, and Penn State. But after logging that win against the Nittany Lions in a game PSU’s best player – Lamar Stevens – was ejected from the game early in the second half, things have gotten a bit dicey. They went on to get their teeth kicked in by the Golden Gophers up in the Twin Cities falling 84-71 as 7.5-point road chalk, but followed it up with a pair of wins and covers against Southeast Missouri State and Kentucky. Then came the shocking 67-59 loss to the Mountaineers in a game OSU held a 37-31 lead at the break and went off the board favored by 5.5-points to come out triumphant. The Buckeyes shot a wretched 31 percent from the field to lose for the second time this season; the pointspread defeat was their third overall.
Player to Watch
Nate Reuvers is the straw that stirs the Badgers drink. He leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.7 points per game, but also checks in as the leading glass cleaner in averaging 5.3 caroms per game. While that pales in comparison to the 15.7 RPG Wesson and Kyle Young have combined for to date, he’s going to need to go above and beyond for the Badgers to not get embarrassed in the battle of the boards in this matchup. OSU rates out just above average on the offensive glass, but ranks amongst the best in the country at the other end of the court (No. 17). The same can’t be said for Wisconsin at either end. On top of that, the Badgers aren’t the greatest shooting team in the country either (No. 171). So if the shots aren’t falling, Wiscy’s bigs best hit the glass hard in order to not get run out of the gym.
Prediction
The last time Wisconsin ventured into Value City Arena, they left with a 73-67 overtime win as 4.5-point favorites in tow. The Badgers won’t be laying points this time around. In fact, they’ll likely be receiving an ample amount of points from linemakers and it will be well-deserved. Wisconsin has already incurred defeats against the likes of Richmond, New Mexico, NC State and Rutgers this season. While the Wolfpack and Scarlet Knights rank out amongst the top-55 per the current Pomeroy Ratings, neither can hold a flame to what a determined bunch of Buckeyes will bring to the hardwood on Friday night. Playing the revenge card, look for Ohio State to get back on the winning track by killing the Badgers on the glass enough to the point that it cruises to the runaway win and cover in a low scorer.
College Basketball Pick: Ohio State 73, Wisconsin 55
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!
