Subscribe
Follow Us
Thursday night will showcase an exciting Big Ten matchup! No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers host No. 16 Ohio State. It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with an Ohio State-Wisconsin prediction and pick.
Ohio State is coming off a win over Northwestern 95-87. They fell back three spots in the rankings because of their loss to Indiana the game prior. The Buckeyes are 10-3 on the season and look to be strong contenders in the Big Ten. It's a tough bunch with five teams in the top-25 and a team like Michigan falling out of the rankings. Ohio State is led by junior guard E.J Liddell who is averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Wisconsin is also having a successful season. They are coming off a 1-point win over Maryland and have won five straight. Their last loss? Ohio State. The Buckeyes dominated Wisconsin 73-55 back on Dec. 11. The Badgers managed to win the next five and get their rematch feeling confident. They are 13-2 on the season and their only other loss came to Providence early in the season. Wisconsin upset No. 3 Purdue 74-69 back on Jan. 3.
Here are the Ohio State-Wisconsin college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-Wisconsin Odds
Ohio State: +3.5 (-105)
Wisconsin: -3.5 (-115)
Over: 142 (-105)
Under: 142 (-115)
*Watch College Basketball Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why Ohio State Could Cover The Spread
Based on their last performance against Wisconsin, it seems like they should feel pretty confident in their ability to win this game. They are given a few points on the road in this one, so covering this spread seems likely. The Buckeyes bounced back from the bad loss to Indiana and scored just under 100 points. That type of offense is going to be how they cover this spread. They just can't let Wisconsin keep up. They let up 87 to Northwestern so facing an even better team could become a problem. Liddell notched 34 in the win and his ability to score is what leads this team every game. Malaki Branham scored 24 with five assists so if they get another similar outing from those two, then they should be in a spot to cover this spread. Ohio State is 6-7 against the spread this season.
Why Wisconsin Could Cover The Spread
The Badgers want their rematch against the Buckeyes and this is their last opportunity to do it, until the Big Ten Tournament. They are favored at home and will likely be in this game until the finish. If they want to cover this spread, that means they will need to win this game somewhat comfortably. It's going to be tough to hold on to a small led with the offensive threats on the other side. Of course, the Badgers have one of the top scorers in the nation in Johnny Davis, averaging 22.3 points per game. Brad Davison is also a threat on any given night and so they will need those two to show up Thursday night. They combined for 37 in the loss in the last game, so the Badgers need others to step up as well if they want to win this game. Wisconsin is 10-5 against the spread this year.
Final Ohio State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick
This is a hard one to choose, both teams are playing very well this season but the Buckeyes won this last meeting pretty comfortably. It was at home and now this is on the road, but either way, it's hard to bet against them in this one. Take Ohio State and hope the outcome is similar to the previous result. The scoring should come easier in this game so consider taking the over as well.
Final Ohio State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick: Ohio State +3.5 (-105) & over: 142 (-105)
