Michigan vs Ohio State March 6 Big Ten Basketball Betting Preview

The Ohio State Buckeyes will host rival Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at 12:30 pm EST on FOX for the final game of the season. Is there a better way to close out the regular season and Big Ten play with a matchup between two teams with one of the most storied rivalries in sports history?

Ohio State is coming off a huge win against Michigan State in their past game. They had lost their previous two Big Ten games against Maryland and Nebraska. EJ Liddell came to play for the Buckeyes in a game where he scored 19 and added eight rebounds and three assists.

The rest of the Buckeyes squad showed out with Malaki Braham scoring 22, Joey Brunk adding 18, and Jamari Wheeler with 16 points.

Michigan are losers of two out of their last three matchups, which includes losses to Illinois and Iowa and a win at home against Michigan State. They will have a chance to end their regular season on a high note if they can come into Columbus and upset the Buckeyes.

Let’s take a look at the final game of the season for these two teams.

Odds

The Buckeyes are favored by four in this matchup, and rightfully so. It has not been the most consistent road for Ohio State this season, but they are playing in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, and it is college basketball: anything can happen. I expect the Buckeyes to win and cover to try to help their case for a higher seed to the committee.

The over/under is set at 144, with both teams scoring and giving up near the average in the NCAA. I am expecting this game to go over the 144 mark as this implies they will hit their totals of 77 per side. Both teams need a win going into the Big Ten tournament and will need to take advantage of their possessions in this matchup.

Big Ten Conference Standings

Ohio State finds themselves in fifth currently with a record of 12-7 with the potential to make it into fourth with a win against Michigan and an Iowa loss. Their improvement in ranking in the Big Ten will help their cause in who their matchup will be in the conference tournament.

Michigan is three spots behind Ohio State with a record of 10-9 and have the potential to make it into seventh and potentially sixth with a win against Ohio State and losses from both Michigan State and Rutgers. Michigan will need all the help they can get as they are on the outside looking in on the NCAA tournament.

Outcome

Ohio State got the best of the Wolverines the first time around, and it will be the same result this time. EJ Liddell and the Buckeyes have more to play for than these Wolverines and are more talented on both sides of the ball. I expect Ohio State to come out with a bang and set them off on the right foot going into the conference tournament.

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