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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish
Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 4-1 Big Ten) travel to meet the Wisconsin Badgers (13-2, 4-1) in a Big Ten conference showdown at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc. on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN2.

SCORE PREDICTION

Wisconsin 73, Ohio State 70

BEST BETS

Wisconsin -145 ML at BetMGM

Over 139 (-110) at DraftKings

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS. WISCONSIN BADGERS PREDICTIONS

The Buckeyes bounced back after its 67-51 loss at Indiana to top Northwestern by a 95-87 count last time out as 7.5-point favorites in Columbus. In fact, the 95-point outburst was the highest scoring output of the entire season after a season-low against the Wildcats.

Ohio State was accurate from the field against Northwestern, hitting a robust 57%, or 29-of-51, from the field, while knocking down 11-of-25, or 44%, from behind the 3-point line. The Buckeyes were also amazing from the free-throw line, good for 26-of-27, a sparkling 96%. Malaki Branham actually missed the only free throw in that Northwestern game, but he made 13-of-14, while finishing with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, so he was probably excused by the coach. And star E.J. Liddell amassed 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including five makes from behind the arc.

Wisconsin is on a roll, posting five consecutive victories since Dec. 11 at Ohio State. The Badgers were on the short end of a 73-55 score in Columbus against the Buckeyes in the first meeting of the season. In that loss, the Badgers shot just 34%, or 22-of-65, while hitting just 23%, or 6-of-26, from downtown. The good news is Wisconsin turned it over just eight times, but the bad news is that Ohio State outrebounded them by a whopping 47 to 25 margin.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS. WISCONSIN BADGERS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS. WISCONSIN BADGERS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Matchup: Big 10
  • Date: Thursday, January 13, 2022
  • Venue: Kohl Center
  • Location: Madison, Wisconsin
  • TV-Time: ESPN2 - 7:00 p.m. ET

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 10-3
  • ATS: 6-7
  • O/U: 9-4

The Buckeyes picked up a cover last time out against Northwestern, but they have posted back-to-back covers just once this season, on Nov. 30-Dec. 5 against Duke and Penn State. Overall, Ohio State has posted a 6-7 ATS mark in 13 games this season.

Ohio State isn't likely to be fazed by the raucous crowd at Kohl Center, as it is 11-5 ATS in the previous 16 games on the road. The Buckeyes are also 11-5 ATS in the past 16 games on the road against teams with a winning overall home mark. However, as mentioned above, the Buckeyes haven't been able to stack covers, going just 1-5 ATS in the past six following after covering last time out.

The Buckeyes have cashed the OVER in nine of the past 12 games overall, while going 16-5 in the past 21 games on the road. In addition, the OVER is 6-2 in the past eight against teams with a winning overall record. While that's all well and good, the UNDER hit in the first meeting with the Badgers on Dec. 11 before the COVID pause and holiday break.

WISCONSIN BADGERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 13-2
  • ATS: 10-5
  • O/U: 10-5

The Badgers have picked up five straight victories since losing to the Buckeyes on Dec. 11, including a 70-69 road win at Maryland last time out on Sunday. The Badgers have covered three in a row after an 0-3 ATS skid from Dec. 11-29.

In rather uncharacteristic fashion, Greg Gard's Badgers have cashed the OVER in five consecutive games, while going 9-3 across the past 12 outings overall. Unlike Ohio State, Wisconsin has been able to stack covers, going 7-1 ATS in the past eight following a cover, and 8-2 ATS in the previous 10 following a straight-up win. They're also 9-3 ATS in the past 12 games against teams with a winning overall mark.

The Badgers have also cashed the OVER in seven of the past nine against teams with a winning overall record, while going 5-1 in the past six games at home, too.


Wisconsin has cashed in nine of the past 12 games overall. (AP)

INSIDE THE STATS - OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

  • Record: 10-3
  • VI Ranking: 22
  • PS/G: 76.2 (91st)
  • PA/G: 69.8 (216th)
  • ORtg: 111.0 (36th)
  • DRtg: 101.8 (271st)

INSIDE THE STATS - WISCONSIN BADGERS

  • Record: 13-2
  • VI Ranking: 13
  • PS/G: 71.7 (197th)
  • PA/G: 64.9 (91st)
  • ORtg: 106.5 (108th)
  • DRtg: 96.5 (152nd)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • OHST: Malaki Branham - G (10.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 41.9 3P%)
  • OHST: E.J. Liddell - F (20.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.1 BPG, 2.6 APG)
  • WIS: Jonathan Davis - G (22.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG)
  • WIS: Brad Davison - G (14.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 33.3 3P%)

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS. WISCONSIN BADGERS BETTING CONCLUSION

The Buckeyes gave the Badgers a sound beating in the first meeting in Columbus, but Ohio State has been a completely different team on the road. They're just 2-2 SU/1-3 ATS in four true road outings, including an ugly 16-point loss at Indiana with a season-low 51 points last time it packed a suitcase on Jan. 6.

After the loss in Columbus, Wisconsin appears to have gotten the wake-up call it needed. The Badgers have rattled off five consecutive victories, and three straight covers while hitting the OVER in each of the outings. They're playing tremendous basketball, and Wisconsin will return the favor to level the season series. Perhaps they'll meet in the Big Ten Tournament in the spring to decide a season series winner.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS. WISCONSIN BADGERS BETTING TRENDS

  • Ohio State is 11-5 ATS in the past 16 road games.
  • Ohio State is 11-5 ATS in the past 16 road games vs. teams with a winning home record.
  • Ohio State is 2-5 ATS in the past seven after a straight-up win.
  • Ohio State is 1-5 ATS in the past six following a non-cover.
  • Wisconsin is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 games overall.
  • Wisconsin is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 vs. winning teams.
  • The OVER is 9-3 in the past 12 games for Ohio State.
  • The OVER is 16-5 in the past 21 road games for Ohio State.
  • The OVER is 6-2 in the past eight vs. winning teams for Ohio State.
  • The OVER is 5-0 in the past five games for Wisconsin.
  • The OVER is 5-1 in the past six home games for Wisconsin.
  • The OVER is 7-2 in the past nine vs. winning teams for Wisconsin.
  • The favorite is 14-6 ATS in the past 20 meetings in this series.

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Daniel Dobish

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish
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