Sacramento Kings
Ohio State Looking Good To Tame Mountaineers
West Virginia and Ohio State will be meeting for the second time in the last 12 years as the teams will square off in the Legends of Basketball Showcase in Cleveland. West Virginia won the most recent meeting 67-59 in 2019 as a six-point underdog. The college basketball betting lines have the Buckeyes listed as the favorite.
West Virginia center Jesse Edwards (14.8 points per game, a team-leading 8.7 rebounds) is out. Ohio State guards Bruce Thornton (a team-best 17.4 points per game) and Taison Chatman, center Felix Okpara (the team leader in rebounds and blocked shots) and forward Owen Spencer are questionable.
Even with some injury concerns to key players, the NCAA basketball predictions have the Buckeyes as the 9½-point favorite.
Ohio State is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
When looking at the NCAA basketball futures odds, Ohio State came into the season seventh in the Big Ten championship odds while West Virginia was tied for the eighth-best odds of winning the Big 12.
Ohio State vs West Virginia Game Information
- Game: Ohio State (10-2) vs West Virginia (5-7)
- Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
- Ohio State vs West Virginia Live Stream: TBS.com
West Virginia has dropped all three of its games against teams from the Power-5 conferences. Ohio State is 3-2 against Power-5 conference teams after its 67-60 win over UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.
The Buckeyes are priced at -500 to win the game with West Virginia at +385 on the moneyline according to the Las Vegas college basketball odds.
Ohio State vs West Virginia Odds and Spreads
Ohio State vs West Virginia Betting Trends
- Ohio State is just 4-6-1 against the spread as a favorite this season.
- The total has gone over in 10 of West Virginia’s last 15 games.
- The Buckeyes have covered in only two of their last nine games against teams from the Big 12.
- West Virginia is 1-3 against the Las Vegas odds as an underdog.
- West Virginia has covered in just two of its last seven contests.
- The total has gone over in eight of Ohio State’s last 12 games.
- The total has gone under in six of West Virginia’s previous seven matchups with Big Ten teams.
- Ohio State is 14-8 against the spread in neutral-site games over the last four seasons.
Over/Under Pick: Over 147
Even though West Virginia ranks near the bottom of the national stats in scoring offense and field-goal percentage, don’t be surprised if this game lands over the total. That is especially the case if Thornton is good to go since the Mountaineers will be without their best post player.
Thornton was optimistic about his availability for the game.
Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton: ‘I knew I was good’ after injury against New Orleans https://t.co/jNkw8xwGpF
— Columbus Dispatch (@DispatchAlerts) December 29, 2023
ATS Pick: West Virginia vs Ohio State (-9½)
The track record of Ohio State when favored by at least nine points is not that impressive. The Buckeyes are 2-5 against the spread the last seven times they were at least nine-point favorites.
If West Virginia had the services of Edwards, the Mountaineers might be a solid pick to cover but there is not much about the way they have looked against better competition that lends itself to any confidence in the Mountaineers.
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Ohio State vs West Virginia Prediction
Ohio State 80, West Virginia 68
Questions Of The Day
Which players are considered to be breakout candidates between Ohio State and West Virginia?
Ohio State sophomore Roddy Gayle went from averaging 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists as a freshman to putting up 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the first 12 games.
Are there any injuries or suspensions between Ohio State vs West Virginia?
Jesse Edwards, the top rebounder and No. 3 scorer is out for West Virginia. Ohio State’s leading scorer Bruce Thornton is questionable but looks good to play.
