The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes have cashed six straight tickets at home, while logging a 9-2 spread record in their last 11 games. Thad Matta’s squad takes the floor at Value City Arena in Tuesday’s matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers, who slide into Columbus with a 1-5 ATS mark in their last six contests.
Sportsbooks opened Ohio State as a 16-point favorite, with early
sports betting on Purdue dropping the number quickly to 15. NCAA Basketball odds makers first set the ‘total’ at 131,
remaining unchanged at most sportsbooks after initial betting action was mixed.
Buckeyes edge out
Badgers
Ohio State notched its fifth straight win in Saturday’s 58-52
victory as a 3 ½-point road favorite against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Buckeyes held Wisconsin to 40 percent
field shooting, while outrebounding the Badgers, 30-25.
Buckeyes forward Jared Sullinger logged team-highs of 24 points
and 10 boards, finishing with his second double-double in three games. Sullinger’s mates William Buford and Deshaun
Thomas united for 27 points, hitting 12-of-30 field buckets.
The tight affair’s combined 110 points dipped below the ‘total’ of
118, making the ‘under’ 4-2-2 in the Buckeyes’ last eight games. Ohio State sank 13-of-16 free throws, while
both squads united for a sparse 6-of-34 from three-point land.
Boilermakers buried at
home
Purdue logged its third loss in four games with Saturday’s 78-61
defeat as a 3 ½-point home favorite against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Boilermakers were held to a meager 29.6
percent shooting night from the floor, while being edged out in rebounds,
44-30.
Boilermakers forward Robbie Hummel notched his second
double-double in five games, piling in 16 points and 10 boards. The senior added five of his squad’s eight
blocks, while mate D.J. Byrd drained 3-of-5 beyond the arc to lead Purdue’s
bench scoring with 15 points.
The lopsided contest’s combined 139 points ducked ‘under’ the
closing ‘total’ of 140. Purdue’s
backcourt duo of Lewis Jackson and Terone Johnson united to connect a meager
3-of-22 field buckets, with Jackson adding a team-high four assists.
Back Purdue to hang in
Columbus
Tuesday’s tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. (ET), with ESPN providing
the national television coverage.
When it comes to my NCAA Basketball picks tonight I am taking the big number, looking for Purdue
to stay within range as a road dog. Ohio
State faces a ‘sandwich’ type of spot here, logging two straight wins against
No. 22 Michigan and No. 20 Wisconsin while gearing up for this Saturday’s
battle with No. 12 Michigan State.
Purdue has not been an underdog often this season, but has cashed
at 3-2 ATS in those five spots. The
Boilermakers have not been a double-digit dog since three games in its
2007-2008 season, reeling off a 3-0 ATS mark in that span.
Hummel has had some respectable numbers for the Boilermakers,
averaging 15.2 PPG and 6.2 RBG. The
Indiana native ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference in foul shooting, sinking
80 percent from the charity stripe.
The Boilermakers have allowed 67.5 PPG in their last four road
contests, while Ohio State’s scoring has dipped to 61 PPG in their last pair of
duels. Purdue’s Kelsey Barlow has picked
up a steal off the bench in four of the team’s last five games, lifting his
squad to average a sizable 7.3 SPG.
Purdue is 2-1 ATS in its last three meetings against Ohio State, including a
60-57 road win as a 3 ½-point dog in 2010. Look for the Boilermakers to pick up another cashed ticket here,
entering Columbus with nothing to lose in a spot leaving the Buckeyes a bit
vulnerable.