The Ohio State Buckeyes (+1200 to win the national title) need to turn a corner soon. Otherwise, they will be out of the Top 25 in all likelihood. Perhaps a meeting against the Penn State Nittany Lions, whom Ohio State had already beaten this season, could cure the Buckeyes’ malaise. That said, the Nittany Lions have seemingly gotten better since the last meeting with Ohio State.
*Stats and records used in this preview are accurate as of Jan. 14, 2020.
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Betting Preview for the Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions NCAA College Basketball Game on January 18 2020
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park
When: Saturday, January 18, 2020, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (Odds) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (Odds) – view all 2019-20 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-5 Overall / 1-4 Conference)
Remember when the Buckeyes rolled to a nine-game win streak? That was a good time for Ohio State. Those days seem so long ako, as they are now on a four-game losing skid heading into a date with the Nebraska Cornhuskers this Tuesday. The Buckeyes have not score more than 67 points since their 71-65 win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Dec. 21. The Buckeyes are averaging 73.4 points per game this season, but that number is down to only 55.3 points per game over their last three outings. One thing Ohio State needs to fix is its turnovers. The Buckeyes are turning the ball over 13.9 times per game, and had 16 against the Indiana Hoosiers in a 66-54 loss in Bloomington last Saturday. They were a whole lot better in their 106-74 win Penn State at home on Dec. 7 in which they shot 57.4 percent from the field and hit 14 3-pointers.
The under is 4-1 in the Buckeyes’ last five road games.
Betting on the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-4 Overall / 2-3 Conference)
After winning five games in a row, a stretch highlighted by wins over No. 4 Maryland Terrapins and No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes, the Nittany Lions have stumbled again, with back-to-back losses to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Wisconsin Badgers. Senior forward Mike Watkins laid a goose egg in the Wisconsin game, shooting. Watkins is one of Penn State’s reliables, as he is averaging 10.5 points per game and leads the team with 8.5 boards per outing. Watkins also had just six points and three rebounds in the loss to Ohio State. Overall, Penn State was outrebounded, 37-25 by Ohio State. Controlling the rebound is key for Penn State, which thrives on fast-paced games; The Nittany Lions are 39th in the nation per KenPom in Adjusted Tempo.
The Nittany Lions, who are averaging 77.8 points per game, are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Ohio State wins, 70-66.
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