Okay, so it is not football, but tonight's basketball game between Penn State and Ohio State is critical for both teams if they hope to reach the NCAA Tournament. Right now the Nittany Lions have the upper hand on the Buckeyes with a better overall record and a superior position in the conference standings. The game is set to tip off at 7:00pm ET at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio; it will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Penn State vs Ohio State College Basketball Picks at Sportsbook.com have the Buckeyes listed as a -5.5 against the spread home favorite.
The Nittany Lions come into tonight's game having won their last two contests. They took care of business at home on Valentine's Day by beating Minnesota 68-63 and they followed that effort with a 38-33 road win against the Fighting Illini. The back-to-back victories moved Penn State's overall record to 19-8 and their Big 10 tally to 8-6 (fourth place).
Head Coach Ed DeChellis watched his team hold Illinois to a football like 33 points after forcing the Illini to 30 percent shooting from the field and 18 percent behind the arc. No Illinois player reached double figures in scoring and Bruce Weber's squad did not shoot a free throw the entire evening. Talor Battle led the Lions with 11 points and Penn State hit nine of their 11shots from the charity stripe.
The Nittany Lions are 5-4 on the road this season, but they have won only three of their seven conference road outings. However, along with last week's away win versus Illinois, they also upset Michigan State 72-68 in East Lansing. They are averaging 62.6 points per game away from Happy Valley and they have allowed host squads to score an average of 65.3 per game.
Ohio State, 17-8, has been inconsistent most of the season, particularly in conference action. They are currently in seventh place in the Big 10 with a 7-7 record versus their rivals. Things have been especially bad of late for the Buckeyes as they have dropped their last three games. Thad Matta's team fell in back-to-back road games against Wisconsin and Northwestern before losing 68-70 at home to Illinois.
The Fighting Illini rebounded from their tough outing against Penn State by abusing the Buckeye defense. They racked up 23 assists and shot 58.9 percent from the floor. Evan Turner and Jon Diebler kept Ohio State in the game, scoring 17 apiece in the losing effort.
The Buckeyes are 13-3 at home this year, where they post an average of 69.5 points per game and hold visiting opposition to a meager 58.9 per game.
Penn State and Ohio State are both unranked, but the Nittany Lions trail the Buckeyes 62 to 43 in the RPI.
Sportsbook.com's Penn State vs Ohio State College Basketball Picks:
Penn State Nittany Lions +5.5 (-110)
Ohio State Buckeyes -5.5 (-110)
