The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Wisconsin Ohio State prediction, odds, and pick.

Wisconsin extended its home-court winning streak against the Indiana Hoosiers to a whopping 19 games at the Kohl Center. The Badgers did so in a most improbable way, however, falling behind by as many as 22 points before rallying for a 64-59 win. The Badgers slowly reduced that large deficit over the course of the second half, but they still trailed 57-52 with nearly 2:30 left. They outscored Indiana 12-2 in the final two and a half minutes to win.

Wisconsin has beaten Houston this season and has won the Maui Invitational (held in Las Vegas). The Badgers lost to Providence early in the season and did not look good in the first two weeks of the campaign, but they have clearly turned things around under head coach Greg Gard. There is ample reason for Wisconsin basketball to be optimistic about what it can achieve this season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a wild journey this season. They almost lost to Akron at home to start the season. Then they beat a Seton Hall team which has defeated Michigan and Texas so far this season. Ohio State then lost to Florida. It fell behind Duke by 13 points in the second half and seemed to be done and dusted, but the Buckeyes rallied for a stirring win over Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils. Ohio State has already gone through a lot of ups and downs as a team in one month. It will be fascinating to see where the journey goes from here for the Buckeyes, who lost in the NCAA Tournament this past March as a No. 2 seed. Everyone in Columbus wants to bounce back from that particular gut punch and make a stronger run in the postseason in 2022.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the odds:

College Basketball odds: Wisconsin-Ohio State Odds

Wisconsin: +4.5 (-115)

Ohio State: -4.5 (-105)

Over: 135.5 (-110)

Under: 135.5 (-110)

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Why Wisconsin Could Cover the Spread

The Badgers have become a very familiar Wisconsin team: hard-nosed defense, timely offense, a great work ethic, and a lot of toughness without a dazzling star presence. Wisconsin grinds down its opponents with its relentless defense and leans on the ability to get stops when its offense isn’t working. This is how the Badgers stay in games. They don’t score in bunches on most occasions, but they keep opponents in the 50s or the very low 60s and get enough to win on most occasions.

Ohio State has an offense which comes and goes. The Buckeyes don’t always know what they are going to get from their starting five. Are we going to see the OSU team which barely survived Akron and lost to Florida, or the team which defeated Seton Hall and Duke? Ohio State’s ceiling might be higher, given its win over Duke, but Wisconsin seems to have the higher floor, a more consistent regular identity than Ohio State.

Why Ohio State Could Cover the Spread

The Buckeyes beat Duke. They beat Duke by coming from behind midway through the second half. If a team can take several punches from the Blue Devils, who have already beaten Gonzaga this season, that’s a pretty clear indication of their chops and overall ability to compete. Chris Holtmann continues to get the most out of his players at Ohio State. He hasn’t yet made a big run in the NCAA Tournament, but he does so well each and every regular season that it’s hard to think the won’t turn the corner at some point in March. Ohio State continues to earn respect not just in the Big Ten, but on a national level.

Final Wisconsin-Ohio State Prediction & Pick

This game is going to be close, which means that favoring one team by more than four points seems really weird. Take the team which is the underdog by more than four points.

Final Wisconsin-Ohio State Pick: Wisconsin +4.5