Illinois begins its Big Ten tournament run as Ohio State faces Illinois. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ohio State-Illinois prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Ohio State made it to this game on a win in the second round. After a 19-12 season and a 9-11 conference record, they were the ten seed. They would face a seventh-seeded Iowa team, and meet the challenge. Ohio State held the lead for almost the entire game. While it stayed close for much of the game, the Buckeyes pulled away in the second half, winning the game 90-78.
Illinois finished the regular season at 23-8 on the year while sitting at 14-6 in conference play. That earned them the double-bye and the second seed in the Big Ten tournament. They also won four of their last five games. The only loss was at home to Purdue, where they fell by six points. Illinois and Ohio State matched up just once this year, as Illinois took an 87-75 win on the road.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-IllinoisOdds
Ohio State: 4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +162
Illinois: -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -196
Over: 154.5 (-110)
Under: 154.5 (-110)
How to Watch Ohio State vs. Illinois
Time: 6:30 PM ET/ 3:30 PM PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for a free trial)
Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ohio State is 50th in the nation in adjusted efficiency this year, while sitting 39th on offense, and 70th on the defensive side of the game. On offense this year, Ohio State ranks 129th in the nation in points per game, while also sitting 93rd in assist-to-turnover ratio. On offense, Bruce Thornton leads the way. He comes into the game with 16.1 points per game this year, while also having 4.3 assists per game this year. He is shooting just 42.3 percent this year but has been solid at the line this year. Meanwhile, Jamison Battle is scoring 14.4 points per game on the season, while Roddy Gayle Jr. comes in with 13.8 points per game this year.
Ohio State is 101st in the nation in rebounding this year, while sitting 97th in offensive rebounding rate. Leading the way on the boards this year is Felix Okpara, who comes in with 6.3 rebounds per game this year. Okpara also has been great on the offensive glass, with over two rebounds per game. Jamison Battle also added 4.9 rebounds per game this season.
On defense, Ohio State ranks 79th in the nation this year allowing 69.0 points per game. They do a great job of stopping passing, allowing just 11.1 assists per game, which is the 41st-best mark in the nation. They start strong on defense, sitting 48th in the nation in points per game allowed in the first half. Ohio State is also 42nd in the nation in blocks per game this year. This is led by Felix Okpara, who comes in with 2.3 blocks per game this year.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois ranks tenth in adjusted efficiency in KenPom rankings, sitting fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency and 73rd in adjusted defensive efficiency. They are ninth in points per game this year while sitting 17th in field goals made per game this year. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been solid this year. He leads the team with 21.6 points per game of the year while shooting 46.9 percent from the field. Further, Marcus Domask has been good as well. He has 16.0 points per game this year while adding in 3.5 assists per game, the most on the team. Rounding out the top scorers is Coleman Hawkins. Hawkins comes in with 12.9 points per game this year.
What has been special about this Illinois team is the rebounding this year, they are fourth in the nation in rebounds per game. They are ninth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game while sitting 20th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game this year. Quincy Guerrier shines here. He comes in with 6.7 rebounds per game, helping his 10.4 points per game. Hawkins comes in rebounding well with 6.1 rebounds per game, while Ty Rodgers comes in with 5.2 rebounds per game.
On defense, Illinois is 191st in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 45th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Hawkins leads the team with 1.6 steals per game this year while having 1.0 blocks per game this year. Meanwhile, Shannon has just under a steal per game and one block per game this year.
Final Ohio State-Illinois Prediction & Pick
While the Ohio State defense has been solid, especially against Iowa, they need to take another step up against this Illinois team. The Illinois offense is one of the best in the nation. Further, Illinois has the guys to rebound well and win the rebounding battle. That will be the difference in this game, as Illinois gets the win.
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Final Ohio State-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -4.5
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