Ohio State Men's Basketball vs. Indiana Big Ten Bet Preview

The Ohio State Buckeyes head to Bloomington, Indiana on Thursday night for a matchup with the Hoosiers. The Big Ten Conference title race looks to be wide open once again, and Ohio State has a chance to win this league.

Ohio State comes into this game with an overall record of 9-2, and they have won five straight games. Things haven’t always been easy for the Buckeyes this season, but they are good enough to compete with any team in the country. 

Indiana just suffered a road loss to Penn State this weekend, and they aren’t a team that is going to win this league. Home court advantage has always been a very real thing in Bloomington though, and that makes them a dangerous opponent for the Buckeyes on Thursday night. 

Liddell Leading the Charge

Forward E.J. Liddell decided to return to Ohio State instead of testing the NBA waters, and that decision has worked out for the Buckeyes. Liddell is leading this team with 19.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and he has the ability to completely take over a matchup. 

Shooting is going to be a big key for Ohio State, and that is the one area that could really sink them moving forward. Ohio State is making out nearly 50 percent of their shots, but they need more perimeter scoring to open it up for Liddell. 

The defense has been questionable for Ohio State as well, especially in the win over Nebraska. The Buckeyes allowed a bad Nebraska team to score 79 points, and that kind of effort simply won’t be good enough. 

Hoosiers Want to Defend

Since Indiana doesn’t have as many offensive weapons as the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers must win this game with defense. Indiana is holding teams to just 61 points per game this season, and that could come into play on Thursday night. 

Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis can be a huge problem for Ohio State in this matchup as he is averaging 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. The Buckeyes do have plenty of size to throw at the big man, but he is not easy to slow down. 

Indiana is making 36 percent of their three-point shots this season, but this is a team that doesn’t have a ton of depth. If Ohio State can shut down Jackson-Davis then it could be a long night for the Indiana offense. 

Buckeyes Beat Hoosiers in Bloomington

Winning on the road in the Big Ten Conference is never easy, but this is a chance for Ohio State to pick up a victory. Indiana has some interesting results this season, but they just don’t feel like a team ready to contend for a Big Ten title. 

Ohio State survived an upset bid from Nebraska over the weekend, and that will have them refocused for this matchup. The Buckeyes can’t take this game lightly, but they have more talent and more depth.

Ohio State picks up a second straight Big Ten road win by beating Indiana.