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The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in Cleveland. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Ohio State West Virginia prediction and pick. Find how to watch Ohio State West Virginia.
The West Virginia Mountaineers are predictably struggling in the first season after the dismissal of previous head coach Bob Huggins. It is not easy to replace one of the better coaches of this era. Huggins, of course, made it absolutely necessary for WVU to fire him. One embarrassing episode of bad conduct after another forced the university's hand. If anything, the school was tardy in taking action, but eventually the end game for Huggins. West Virginia had to scramble to fill the vacancy with an interim boss, Josh Eilert. Not being able to find a high-end replacement meant this season was almost certain to be a rocky ride, and it has been. The Mountaineers are 5-7 through 12 games. Some of their losses have been particularly alarming. The resume is so bad that only a huge Big 12 season — with lots of quality wins, not just a few — can get West Virginia to the NCAA Tournament. The odds are highly stacked against this team, but a win over Ohio State would do wonders for the Mountaineers.
This is a neutral-site game in Cleveland and a final nonconference tuneup before the start of full-time conference play for both teams.
Here are the Ohio State-West Virginia College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-West Virginia Odds
Ohio State Buckeyes: -9.5 (-115)
West Virginia Mountaineers: +9.5 (-105)
Over: 147.5 (-110)
Under: 147.5 (-110)
How To Watch Ohio State vs West Virginia
Time: 7:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm PT
TV: Fox
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Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Ohio State Could Cover the Spread
The West Virginia Mountaineers are 5-7. They have lost three of five, including a home game to Radford and a neutral-site game against UMass. The Mountaineers struggle to score. Ohio State should have more than enough defensive resources to hold down West Virginia and prevent any big scoring runs from the Mountaineers. Ohio State has had a generally good season, but its defense wobbled late in a loss to Penn State, a game it controlled most of the way. West Virginia does not have the caliber of offense which can punish and expose any of the defensive limitations the Buckeyes might have. Ohio State has been generally solid so far this season under coach Chris Holtmann. The Buckeyes have been steady in a way West Virginia never has been. Ohio State is a far more trustworthy team.
Why West Virginia Could Cover the Spread
The Ohio State Buckeyes blew a large lead to Penn State. Wins over UCLA and other teams on the schedule don't look nearly as impressive as they seemed at the time. UCLA, for instance, recently lost four straight games, so it's not as though beating UCLA is a huge resume boost. Ohio State's wins don't pack all that much of a punch. This is an overrated team, and West Virginia — playing with desperation because of the stakes involved for the Mountaineers — is going to outfight the Buckeyes for loose balls and rebounds. That will enable WVU to keep this game close enough to cover.
Final Ohio State-West Virginia Prediction & Pick
The Buckeyes have established a consistent standard and the Mountaineers have not. Take Ohio State.
Final Ohio State-West Virginia Prediction & Pick: Ohio State -9.5
