The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked in the top 25, but they are still behind other key teams in the Big Ten. Despite an electric offense and talent across the board, the Buckeyes need some big wins to get back to the top of the conference. Can the Buckeyes cover the spread? Read below to cash out at the top-rated books.
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – 7:00 PM EST at Jersey Mike’s Arena
OSU lost a hard-fought game against Purdue, but they bounced back with a win at home against Maryland. They’ll face another road test when they play at Rutgers. Rutgers has a weaker offense, but their opportunistic defense has kept them in close games.
Rutgers is coming off of a massive win against Michigan State, and that momentum will help as they host the Buckeyes. Still, Rutgers will not be favored in this game.
As of right now, college basketball odds favor OSU by 3 points. The line opened at 3.5, but the shift to 3 hints that this may be closer than we think. Still, that shift adds value for the Buckeyes to cover.
What is the best pick for this game? Here are keys for each team and a pick.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have been elite inside the arc this year, but they don’t take many shots here. Instead, they look to stretch teams and win with perimeter shooting. This is effective, but Ohio State needs to focus more on winning in the paint. They will have an advantage in this game, and they are good enough to kick the ball out to perimeter shooters if they need to.
This could also get Rutgers into foul trouble, which will keep the crowd from impacting the game. Winning in the paint is always a key, but it should be a higher priority in this game for the Buckeyes.
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Ohio State is good at limiting their own turnovers, but the Buckeyes need to win the turnover battle by forcing Rutgers into bad passes under pressure. If OSU can jump passing lanes and cause live-ball turnovers, Ohio State can get easy buckets by running in transition. Dead-ball turnovers are also a win, but Ohio State should be trying to force turnovers with a chance to push the floor.
What can Rutgers do to stop the Buckeyes?
Rutgers has a solid scoring defense in conference play, and that type of success needs to continue. If they can keep Ohio State uncomfortable, they can win a low-scoring game.
Rutgers really needs to keep the starters out of foul trouble. They are scrappy on defense, but they tend to get into foul trouble that limits the minutes from key players. They will already be outmatched, so they need their key scorers and rebounders on the court as much as possible.
Rutgers is surprisingly bad at free throws, averaging 69.9% for the year. This is a combination of who is shooting the free throws and bad misses and key moments. They need to get guards attacking the rim and finishing when they get to the line, but they also need a solid overall performance when it comes to free throws. The good news is that they are playing at home, so shots should be easier to hit.
We now know what needs to happen, but only one team can cover the spread. Here is our college basketball pick.
Ohio State had a great win last weekend, and most of their wins have been convincing. Their losses are against respectable teams, and they are on a streak if you take out the road loss to top-ranked Purdue.
Rutgers spread out its scoring, but they don’t have any single player who can consistently take over games. That’s why I think Ohio State wins this one. As long as Ohio State stays out of foul trouble, they should be able to cover as well. Their offense is hard to stop for 40 minutes, and they are too fundamentally sound to be disrupted on the road.
This isn’t a lock, but I like the value of OSU -3. It’s on the road, but they should be able to pull away in the second half and cover this spread.
NCAAB Pick: Ohio State -3 (-108) with Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.