Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines February 5 Betting Preview

Sunday’s Big Ten tilt tips off at 1:00 p.m in a nationally televised contest on CBS inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The line favors the host, with Michigan a three-point favorite. The over/under total is at 144 points.

Buckeyes Aim to Break Losing Streak

The Buckeyes season hasn’t gone to plan for head coach Chris Holtman and his players. OSU will try to break out of a three-game losing streak and maintain an overall record above the .500 mark. If OSU doesn’t make a run over the season's final weeks, it will be the first time in Holtman’s six seasons that the Buckeyes fail to make the NCAA Tournament.

Looking to notch OSU, a key conference road win will be leading-scoring Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh is fifth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 17.4 ppg and hitting 51.3% of his shots from the field. 

Ohio State ranks 32nd in the KenPom and 36th in the NCAA NET. The Buckeyes are 2-8 in Quad 1 matchups and 3-2 against Quad 2 opponents.

Michigan Begins Key Homestretch

Michigan has a great opportunity to rise up the conference ranks in February with a schedule that includes five home games and just one contest against a ranked foe. The Wolverines currently sit in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, in a logjam of ten teams separated by 1.5 games or less.

The offense runs through big man Hunter Dickinson and head coach Juwan Howard’s son, Jett Howard. The two combine to average 32.3 ppg for Michigan. Dickinson is fifth in the Big Ten, shooting 54.8% from the field.

Michigan sits 57th in KenPom’s rankings and 74th in the NCAA NET. The Wolverines are 1-8 in Quad 1 contests and 4-1 in games against Quad 2 teams.

Betting Trends

Ohio State is 8-14 against the spread this season and just 1-6 ATS in true road matchups. The Buckeyes are 0-5 ATS over their previous five road contests against teams with a winning home record.

Michigan is 12-10 ATS overall and 5-6 ATS on its home floor. Recent trends point out that the Wolverines are just 7-22 ATS immediately following a win ATS. 

The Final Word

The season has been a struggle for the Buckeyes basketball team, especially on the road. OSU has dropped its last five conference road matchups and have just one true away victory. 

Meanwhile, Michigan has won four of its last five Big Ten matchups on its home floor, the lone loss coming to the no. 1 ranked team in the nation Purdue. 

The bright spot heading into this matchup is that even though OSU has struggled on the road, the Buckeyes tend to keep it close. Expect an amped-up Buckeyes squad for this rivalry showdown.,