The Ohio State Buckeyes are hosting the Illinois Fighting Illini tonight in college basketball action. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The college basketball odds for the game have the Buckeyes favored comfortably to pick up the win at home.
College Basketball Odds
Ohio State -7.5
Total: 144 points
Illinois is only 9-15 on the season, but they are definitely playing better basketball. The Fighting Illini have won three straight games, beating Nebraska, ninth-ranked Michigan State and Rutgers. In those games, Illinois has found a way to win each game by single digits, showcasing they can win the close games. The Fighting Illini had a different high scorer in each of those three games; Giorgi Bezhanishvili tossed in 35 points in the team’s most recent win over Rutgers.
Ohio State is right in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten at 6-6. The Buckeyes have also won three consecutive games and the defense has been good for them in those three games, holding Rutgers to 62, Penn State to 70 and Indiana to just 52 points. Defense has been Ohio State’s staple all season as well. The Buckeyes rank 24th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency numbers, that ranks fifth-best in the Big Ten behind Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Maryland.
Illinois has yet to win on the road this season, sitting at 0-6. Ohio State has a mark of 10-4 in home games and should win this one, but the Fighting Illini can keep it close as they have been playing well.
Free Pick: Illinois
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