Wisconsin vs Ohio State 2019 College Basketball Odds, Preview & Pick.

Wisconsin vs Ohio State 2020 College Basketball Odds, Preview & Pick

Written by on January 3, 2020

Wisconsin has been a perennial contender in the Big Ten in basketball but the Badgers are a bit down this season. Things aren’t likely to improve on Friday when Wisconsin visits No. 5 Ohio State. The Buckeyes will be solid Mybookie NCAAB Betting favorites for Winsconsin vs Ohio State.

How to Bet Wisconsin vs Ohio State College Basketball Odds & Game Info

Wisconsin vs Ohio State Last Season

Teams played once last season and it was the final game of the Big Ten regular season. Wisconsin won 73-67 at OSU in overtime. Wisconsin was up by 23 and appeared to be cruising to an easy win in the second half. But Ohio State went on a 27-5 run over the last seven minutes of regulation to force overtime.

UW’s defense held tough as the Badgers outscored the Buckeyes 10-4 in the extra period. Ethan Happ, now in the NBA, had 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Excellent OSU center Kaleb Wesson, who is still with the team was out suspended.

Why Bet on Wisconsin?

The Badgers (8-5) come off a 65-37 rout of Rider on New Year’s Eve out of conference for a third straight win. Nate Reuvers led UW with 15 points, while Aleem Ford scored 14, hitting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Overall, the Badgers shot 13 of 31 from 3 with Brad Davison and Brevin Pritzl each hitting three on their way to 11 points apiece. The teams combined to shoot 2 for 22 over the first seven minutes of the game with Wisconsin finally finding its rhythm.

The Broncs came into the game shooting 44% overall, including 32% from 3-point range. Their 11 first-half points were a season low both for the Broncs and a Wisconsin opponent. Rider shot 16.7% from the floor in the first half and made just five field goals while going 0 for 7 from behind the arc. All were also season lows for a Wisconsin opponent.

Some Records

The Badgers are 7-0 at home this year and have won 10 straight dating back to last season. UW has won 14 straight non-conference home games.

“I thought we were much better in the second half, much more aggressive. We stood around too much the first half and that laid into us being tentative and not rebounding the ball, not moving, not cutting, hence you don’t make shots and in the second half. I thought we were much more aggressive, more like ourselves, and did a really good job defensively for the most part during the whole game. So now we move on to Big Ten play,” UW coach Greg Gard said. Gard has led UW to the NCAA tournament in 3 of his first 4 seasons as head coach, making him 1 of only 10 active coaches to do so.

Wisconsin has featured a balanced offensive attack this season with 5 players averaging at least 9 points per contest. Twice this season, UW has had games where 6 different players scored in double figures. Since 1995, UW has had 6 score in double figures in the same game just 7 times.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 69.00
  • Field Goal Percentage: 44.13
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.07
  • Free Throw Percentage: 77.46
  • Total Rebounds: 34.38

Defense

  • Total Score: 60.46
  • Field Goal Percentage: 40.84
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.50
  • Free Throw Percentage: 67.96
  • Total Rebounds: 31.85

Why Bet on Ohio State?

OSU (11-2) was knocked off 67-59 in Cleveland by No. 22 West Virginia on Sunday. The Buckeyes turned it over a season-high 22 times in the defeat and the Mountaineers held a 22-10 advantage in points off turnovers. Ohio State shot 31.3 percent (15-for-48) from the field while the Mountaineers converted 40.7 percent (22-for-54) of their shot attempts. The Buckeyes and Mountaineers had 10 lead changes during the game. The loss was Ohio State’s first to a ranked team this season.

Turnovers have been a problem for OSU off and on this season, but the team has been top 10 in 3-point shooting all season. But it was West Virginia that bested OSU in that department, hitting 8 of 20 from distance.

Wisconsin vs Ohio State is going to be a close one.

WVU was a 6.5-point underdog, had yet to beat a ranked opponent and was in search of a signature win to top the resume. It was Ohio State’s first loss of the season at full strength, with its lone loss prior to Sunday coming when Duane Washington Jr. was absent from the lineup.

Key Players

Kaleb Wesson led Ohio State with 17 points to go along with nine boards while Washington Jr. scored 12 and Luther Muhammad and CJ Walker scored 10 apiece. Wesson reached the career milestone of 500 rebounds with his nine rebounds. He now has a total of 501. He went 10-for-15 from the free throw line. The last time a player made 10 or more free throws was also Wesson vs. Youngstown State (12/18/18).

That loss dropped OSU from No. 2 to No. 5 in the AP poll. Ohio State remains the nation’s highest-ranked Big Ten squad with No. 12 Michigan, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 21 Penn State and No. 23 Iowa all cracking the rankings.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 77.62
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.87
  • Three-Point Percentage: 40.27
  • Free Throw Percentage: 72.88
  • Total Rebounds: 40.15

Defense

  • Total Score: 58.15
  • Field Goal Percentage: 35.63
  • Three-Point Percentage: 30.07
  • Free Throw Percentage: 63.77
  • Total Rebounds: 31.69

Wisconsin vs Ohio State College Basketball Betting Trends

  • Badgers are 13-5 SU in their last 18 games against an opponent in the Big Ten conference
  • Badgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played in January
  • The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wisconsin’s last 12 games on the road
  • Buckeyes are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games played on a Friday
  • Buckeyes are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games at home
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 6 games when playing at home against Wisconsin

Expert Final Score Prediction for Wisconsin vs Ohio State

Wisconsin 56 – Ohio State 64