The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-16, 3-13 Big 10) will travel to Value City Arena to clash against the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (22-7, 13-3 Big 10) in their home finale. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 128 points with Ohio State opening as a 15.5-point favorite. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
In the Scarlet Knights’ last contest, they lost to the Maryland Terrapins, 61-51. Deshawn Freeman had a good game for Rutgers, recording seven points and 10 rebounds. Maryland did a fantastic job of making free throws (10-14; 71.4 percent). Rutgers, meanwhile, held the Terrapins to an offensive rebounding percentage of 15.4 (below their season average of 31.9).
The Buckeyes are trying to rebound after their 74-62 loss to the No. 22 Michigan Wolverines in their last outing. Jae’Sean Tate was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Michigan did an excellent job of making free throws (17-24; 70.8 percent). Ohio State, on the other hand, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.6 (above their season average of 29.5).
Points could be at a premium in this contest between two of the nation’s best defenses. Ohio State currently ranks 55th in defensive efficiency (98.3) and Rutgers is 12th (93.9). Also, the Scarlet Knights rank 39th in offensive rebounding percentage (34.0 percent), while the Buckeyes rank 24th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.0 percent).
Games including these teams have a tendency to finish under the projected point total. Rutgers games have gone under 61.9 percent of the time, while Ohio State games have finished under 74.1 percent of the time. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Buckeyes have a clear advantage. They are 22-7 SU and 14-13 ATS, while the Scarlet Knights are 13-16 SU and 11-9-1 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined to put up 114 points in that game, which was well under the projected point total of 136. The Buckeyes won 68-46, covering as 6-point favorites. The Buckeyes played a nearly perfect game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 34.4 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.526. For those same stats, the Scarlet Knights put up marks of 20.5 and 0.339, respectively. Keita Bates-Diop scored a game-high 20 points.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Rutgers, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Buckeyes rank 246th in three pointers attempted per game (18.9) while the Scarlet Knights rank 300th (15.3).
- Ohio State allows the 26th-fewest steals per game (5.0) while Rutgers ranks 59th (5.5).
- On the road, Rutgers is 2-6 ATS with 5 unders and 3 overs.
- Ohio State is 7-8 ATS at home with 12 unders and 3 overs.
- Ohio State ranks 21st in rebounds allowed per game (31.1) while Rutgers ranks 228th (36.7).
- The Buckeyes rank 102nd in assists per game (14.6) while the Scarlet Knights rank 276th (10.0).
- Ohio State ranks 34th in blocks allowed per game (2.6) while Rutgers ranks 189th (4.6).
Betting Trends:
- Ohio State is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Rutgers is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Buckeyes have been outscored by an average of 1.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Ohio State has defeated opponents by an average of 9.1 points.
- During their last five games, the Scarlet Knights have scored an average of 58.4 points per game (6.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.8 points per game (2.2 above their season average).
