The Big Ten conference season continues as Rutgers faces Ohio State. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Rutgers-Ohio State prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Rutgers entered the game sitting at 8-4 on the year but dropped their only Big Ten game of the year. After opening the season with a loss to Princeton, they won five straight games. They then had their first conference game of the year and Rutgers struggled in that game. They would lose to Illinois 76-58. Since then, thye have played five more non-conference games, coming out with the games 3-2. Still, last time out they played Stonehill. In that game, it was close, with Rutgers defending well in the waning minutes of the game to come away with a 56-55 win.

Meanwhile, Ohio State is 11-2 on the year. They lost their second game of the year, falling to a ranked Texas A&M squad by seven in their second game of the year. They would win their next seven games in a row, including wins over Alabama and Minnesota. Ohio State would then lose their first conference games of the year. They faced Penn State and in the second half had an 18-point lead. Still, Penn State was able to rally and take a late lead to win 83-80. Since then, thye have won three straight, including wins over UCLA and West Virginia.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Rutgers-Ohio State Odds

Rutgers: +8.5 (-105)

Ohio State: -8.5 (-115)

Over: 136.5 (-105)

Under: 136.5 (-115)

How to Watch Rutgers vs. Ohio State 

Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT

TV: Big Ten Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Rutgers Will Cover The Spread

Rutgers ranks 93rd in KenPoms adjusted efficiency this year. They have struggled on offense, ranking 241st in adjusted efficiency this year, but they have been amazing on defense. Rutgers ranks 16th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency this year. They are eighth in the nation in points allowed per game this year while sitting eighth in opponent assist-to-turnover ratio. Rutgers is sixth in the nation in adjusted shooting percentage against, while also sitting fifth in opponent shooting percentage.

On defense, they are led by Clifford Omoruyi. He comes into the game with 9.1 rebounds per game to lead the team. Meanwhile, he is averaging 3.4 blocks per game this year, by far the most on the team. Rutgers also has four guys averaging over 1.0 steals per game, while Andrew Hyatt comes in with .9 steals per game. Derek Simpson is the leader in steals this year, coming in with 1.4 per game this year.

On the offensive side of the ball, Aundre Hyatt is the leader this year. He comes into the game with 12.3 points per game this year, with 1.4 assists per game this year. Still, he is not shooting well this year. Hyatt is shooting just 38.8 percent from the field this year. The best shooter this year has been Clifford Omoruyi. He comes in with 11.4 points per game this year while shooting 53.6 percent from the field this year. Moving the offense this year is Derek Simpson. He comes in with just 8.9 points per game, but he leads the team this year with 3.0 assists per game.

Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread

Ohio State is 30th in the nation in adjusted efficiency this year, while sitting 22nd on offense, and 45th on the defensive side of the game. On offense this year, Ohio State ranks 52nd in the nation in points per game, while also sitting 56th in assist-to-turnover ratio. They have been solid in a few key areas this year. First, they are one of the best second-half teams on offense in the nation. While Ohio State sits 142nd in points per game in the first half, if they are close, they normally win in the second. This year Ohio State is 30th in the nation in points per game in the second half. Secondly, Ohio State is solid on the offense glass, sitting 35th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game this year.

On offense, Bruce Thornton leads the way. He comes into the game with 16.9 points per game this year, while also having 4.1 assists p[er game this year. He is shooting just 43.9 percent this year but has been solid at the line this year. Meanwhile, Roddy Gayle Jr. comes in with 15.2 points per game this year. He is a quality shooter, sitting with a 52.3 percent shooting percentage on the year. He also has 3.5 assists per year. Still, he leads the team in turnovers this year with 2.8 turnovers per game on the season.

Leading the way on the boards this year is Deliv Okpara, who comes in with 6.4 rebounds per game this year. For the offense, it is Zed Key that is huge on the glass. He is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game this year, but almost half of his rebounds this year have been on the offensive glass.

On defense, Ohio State ranks 34th in the nation this year allowing just 64.9 points per game. They do a great job of stopping passing, allowing just 9.5 assists per game, which is the sixth-best mark in the nation. They start strong on defense, sitting seventh in the nation in points per game allowed in the first half. This year. Ohio State averages 6.2 steals per game this year. Bruce Thornton leads the way with 1.5 steals per game this year. Meanwhile, Evan Mahaffey also has 1.5 steals per game this year. Further, Felix Okpara comes in with 2.3 blocks per game this year.

Final Rutgers-Ohio State Prediction & Pick

In recent years, Rutgers and Ohio State have played close games. Rutgers has covered in their last three outings, while the largest margin of victory of either school has been four points in their recent meetings. Still, while Rutgers has a strong defense, so does Ohio State. Ohio State has a far superior offense though. This is going to be a lower-scoring game but Rutgers does not have the offense talent to keep up in this game. Ohio State will pull away in the second half of this game and take the cover.

Final Rutgers-Ohio State Prediction & Pick: Ohio State -8.5 (-115)