The Ohio State Buckeyes (13-6) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (14-5) on Saturday, January 27th. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on BTN. Both Ohio State and Northwestern will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 ET.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Ohio State Buckeyes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Ohio State will look to snap a three-game losing streak on the road when they take on Northwestern. The Buckeyes are 3-4 on the road this season, compared to 10-2 at home.
So far this year, Ohio State has been the underdog in three games, going 1-2 in those contests. Their average scoring margin on the road is +1.3 points per game.
Ohio State has struggled against the spread this season, going just 6-13. Their road ATS record is 2-5 and they are just 1-2 vs. the spread as the underdog this year. Over their last 3 road games, the Buckeyes are 0-3 vs. the spread.
Ohio State’s over/under record this season is 10-9 and today’s line of 138.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games (143.9). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 145 points and their OU record in those games is 1-2. For the season, 12 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line.
The Northwestern Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Northwestern is 11-1 at home this season, and they have won four straight games at home. On the road, the Wildcats are just 2-4, and they have lost two straight road games. Overall, Northwestern is 14-5, including a 4-3 record in Big Ten play.
In their last game, the Wildcats lost to Nebraska by a score of 75-69. Over their last 10 games at home, Northwestern has gone 9-1, and they are 5-0 in their last five games at home.
Overall, Northwestern has an ATS record of 7-9-2 this season, including a mark of 6-5-1 at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are 5-4-1 vs. the spread.
Northwestern’s over/under record this season is 11-7 and over their last three games, the over/under mark is 3-0. In their last five games, the average scoring total is 150 points and today’s over/under line is 138.5. So far this year, 12 of their games have had lower point totals than 138.5.
Ohio State Offense Breakdown
The Ohio State offense is coming off a game in which they scored 69 points vs. Nebraska. Overall their field goal percentage was 48.2% while connecting on 8 threes. Bruce Thornton is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 16 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Jamison Battle brings a PPG average of 14.2 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Thornton (G) | 16.0 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
| Jamison Battle (F) | 14.2 | 5.4 | 1.1 |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. (G) | 13.7 | 5.1 | 3.2 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
The Wildcats’ offense finished with 69 points in their previous game, mirroring their current average of 73.9 points per contest. Boo Buie is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 18.5 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Brooks Barnhizer brings a PPG average of 14.9 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.5 | 3.4 | 5.2 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.9 | 6.6 | 2.7 |
| Ty Berry (G) | 11.5 | 4.0 | 1.3 |
Ohio State Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Ohio State defense is giving up an average of 67.4 points per contest. Ohio State’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Nebraska offense to knock down 49% of their shots on their way to putting up 83 points.
Northwestern Team Defense
At present, the Wildcats’ defense is nationally ranked 90th, allowing 68.7 points per game. Northwestern’s defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Nebraska offense to knock down 55% of their shots on their way to putting up 75 points.
Buckeyes vs Wildcats Trends
- Through their last ten road contests, the Buckeyes offense has averaged 71 points per game while allowing an average of 70. Ohio State posted an overall record of 5-5 while going 4-6 ATS.
- Although Northwestern has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-5-1. The team averaged 63 points per game in these games.
- The last ten games that Ohio State was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 4-6 straight up.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 9-1. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-4-1.
Buckeyes vs Wildcats Prediction
Not only do we have the Wildcats winning this one by a score of 76-68, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Wildcats at -1.5.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 138.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 27, 2024 Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes