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The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Ohio State Rutgers prediction, odds, and pick.
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Ohio State has flown under the national radar this season, as college basketball odds analysts know well, because the Buckeyes have spent the Big Ten season winning the games they are supposed to win and losing the games they are supposed to lose. That's how a team draws the least amount of attention.
Ohio State beat Wisconsin at home and lost to the Badgers on the road. Chris Holtmann's team has beaten Minnesota and Northwestern and Nebraska but lost to Purdue. That's what is expected of this team. Ohio State did upset Duke earlier in the season after losing to Florida. There was a brief period of time in the fall when the Buckeyes cut against the grain, but in Big Ten play, they have generally done what they were supposed to do. This raises an obvious question: Are they supposed to win at Rutgers, given how hard it is to win in Piscataway, New Jersey?
Rutgers has had a difficult season. Coach Steve Pikiell lost Jacob Young to Oregon in the transfer portal, and one can make the case that RU has struggled to fill Young's absence, one year after the Scarlet Knights made the NCAA Tournament and won a March Madness game before tionblowing a late lead against Houston in the Round of 32. Rutgers made big advances last season, but the program has not been able to consolidate those gains this year. This is part of the formulation of an Ohio State Rutgers prediction.
Yet, even in a down year, what remains is that Rutgers is extremely hard to beat at home. The current sponsored name for the building is Jersey Mike's Arena, but everyone on the Rutgers campus affectionately refers to the arena as the RAC, the Rutgers Athletic Center. Opposing teams find it very difficult to deal with the packed crowd which is right on top of the action in one of college basketball's most intimate settings.
Purdue was No. 1 in the country earlier this season — the first time the Boilermakers have ever been ranked No. 1 in men's basketball — and promptly lost at Rutgers. Iowa lost in Piscataway. Most recently, Rutgers blew out Tom Izzo and Michigan State at home. Even though Rutgers has been bad on the road, the Scarlet Knights regularly bounce back at home in the RAC. Think about that when considering an Ohio State Rutgers pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Ohio State-Rutgers odds:
College Basketball odds: Ohio State-Rutgers Odds
Ohio State: -2.5 (-114)
Rutgers: +2.5 (-106)
Over: 135 (-110)
Under: 135 (-110)
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Why Ohio State Could Cover the Spread
The Buckeyes don't have a high ceiling, but they have a high floor. They don't crumble the way other more volatile (and talented) teams do. They are relatively consistent and dependable, a good trait to have in a game like this against a team they can reasonably beat.
Why Rutgers Could Cover the Spread
The Scarlet Knights own the RAC. They just crushed Michigan State at home. Ohio State should be an entirely manageable opponent.
Final Ohio State-Rutgers Prediction & Pick
Rutgers in the RAC is a very tough team. You're getting two and a half points. Why pass this up?
Final Ohio State-Rutgers Pick: Rutgers +2.5
