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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ohio State-Illinois prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Ohio State-Illinois.
The Ohio State Buckeyes aren’t guaranteed to be in the NCAA Tournament, but right now, they are in the process of playing their way into the event, not out of it. Every bubble team enters February knowing that a quality win dramatically increases future margin for error, and that a bad loss will dramatically shrink that same margin. Right now, Ohio State is increasing its margins and giving itself a cushion in the event that it might lose a few games down the line.
Ohio State just did go on the road and hammer Penn State. This is not long after winning on the road at Purdue, a high-end win which significantly changed the bubble outlook for the rising Buckeyes. Their resume isn’t airtight, but it sure is a lot better than it was a few weeks ago. What should be especially encouraging for Ohio State is that it is finding different ways to win games. Some nights it’s the offense, other nights the defense. This isn’t a cookie-cutter team with only one path to victory. Coach Jake Diebler has to be very pleased by the evolution of his group as February arrives.
Illinois has been struggling. The Illini have had a very rough time the past few weeks, taking on water in the Big Ten and very clearly eliminating themselves from the conference championship race. Illinois has five conference losses after falling to Nebraska, Maryland, Michigan State, and USC in January. To be sure, Illinois has been markedly inconsistent, something which should worry head coach Brad Underwood. The team needs to find stability in February and a sense that it will be ready to bounce back in March.
Here are the Ohio State-Illinois College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-Illinois Odds
Ohio State: +6.5 (-114)
Moneyline: +205
Illinois: -6.5 (-106)
Moneyline: -255
Over: 155.5 (-110)
Under: 155.5 (-110)
How to Watch Ohio State vs Illinois
Time: 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
TV: CBS
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ohio State is the hotter team right now. The Buckeyes are playing dramatically better ball than Illinois and have shown – as in their win at Purdue – that they can win on the road in the Big Ten against quality opponents. Illinois has had its season disrupted by roster limitations. While the Illini might get fully healthy down the line and become a factor in March, they currently lack rhythm and cohesion and are not in a great place right now.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
To be fair to Illinois, the Illini's recent spate of losses has occurred due to attrition. The Illini have not had their preferred starting five on the court, together, during these past few weeks of struggle and failure. Kasparas Jakucionis, the team’s most gifted scorer, has missed several games. Other key players have been out as well. It’s true that other players, notably Kylan Boswell, have not played particularly well, but when a team isn’t whole, performance is bound to suffer.
Illinois is at home and has to be very mad about its recent spate of losses. The Fighting Illini are bound to play better and to make a stand on their home court. Ohio State is playing better than Illinois right now, but part of betting – and college basketball – is that what happens once or twice doesn’t necessarily happen three or four straight times. Teams change and trends do as well. Just because Ohio State has had a few good weeks and Illinois a few bad ones, that doesn’t mean the patterns will continue without interruption in early February. It’s more likely the opposite will be the case.
Final Ohio State-Illinois Prediction & Pick
Illinois to win straight up seems like the more likely moneyline outcome, but Illinois giving 6.5 points is not something we are ready to bet on, given how unstable and ineffective the Illini have been in recent weeks. Maybe wait for a live play here.
Final Ohio State-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -6.5
