Ohio State (18-0, 5-0 BIG TEN) will take the floor Wednesday night (6:30 pm ET) as the nations No. 1 ranked men's college basketball team as host to unranked Iowa at Value City Arena, in Columbus. According to odds makers at most offshore sports shops, the Buckeyes are 20-point spreads favorites in this one with a 134 1/2 total. Keep tabs onthe most up to date NCAA Basketball Betting Spreads as you make your plays all season.
Tonight's game will be the second between the schools this month, with the Buckeye's prevailing in Iowa City by five – 73-68 on January 4. In that game, the Hawkeyes covered the betting spread as a 12 1/2-point home underdogs. The Buckeyes have struggled putting away inferior competition of late, with four straight narrow wins, counting the game with the Hawkeyes. In the Buckeyes previous outing, they squeaked past unranked Penn State by three at home. While going 4-0 in their last four games, the Buckeyes are 0-4 ATS. In total's betting, the combined score has gone OVER the posted total in four of their last five games.
Iowa's season has spiraled downward since beginning conference play going 0-5 against the league. In that span, they played on the road twice losing by 23 points at Purdue and by 10 at Minnesota. The average losing point-margin in those five games at home and away is 13.4. Iowa has failed to cover ATS for its backers in six of its last 10 games and is 6-8 ATS on the year.
Early betting trends show the public isn't buying the 20-point spreads line with 46 percent of bettors taking the points and the Hawkeyes. Most public bettors (94 percent) expect the combined score to go OVER the posted 134 1/2.
College Basketball Best Bet – I seldom recommend wagering on a team lined favorite by 20 or more points. That's why I like the Hawkeyes to cover plus-20. In spite of their 18-0 record, the Buckeyes seem to be suffering a mini-slump, winning by the closest of margins. If you wager according to trends, then Iowa is the best choice.
