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The Penn State Nittany Lions will eye their third-straight win and second in a row on the road when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Big Ten Conference play on Thursday. The Nittany Lions (16-11, 7-9 Big Ten), who are 2-7 on the road this season, are looking to win their second consecutive matchup against Ohio State, after defeating the Buckeyes (11-16, 3-13) 71-68 in the Big Ten Tournament at Indianapolis last March. Ohio State, meanwhile, has lost eight in a row and has fallen to 13th in the conference standings. This will be the only regular-season meeting between the teams.
The game from the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Penn State is averaging 73.3 points per game, while Ohio State averages 73. The Buckeyes are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Penn State vs. Ohio State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 142.5. Before making any Ohio State vs. Penn State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 16 of the season 71-42 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Penn State and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Penn State vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Penn State spread: Ohio State -2.5
- Ohio State vs. Penn State over/under: 142.5 points
- Ohio State vs. Penn State money line: Ohio State -150, Penn State +126
- PSU: The Over is 4-0 in the Nittany Lions’ last four games overall
- OSU: The Under is 4-1 in the Buckeyes’ last five home games
- Ohio State vs. Penn State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Why Ohio State can cover
Senior guard Sean McNeil is one of four Buckeyes averaging nine points or better. He is averaging 9.8 points, two rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, and is the top free-throw shooter on the team at 87.2%. He continues to be a force from the outside, and has five games with at least three 3-pointers made. The West Virginia transfer has made 200 career 3-pointers, and topped 1,000 career points against Maine on Dec. 21.
Freshman guard Bruce Thornton is also a big part of the Buckeyes’ offense. He is averaging 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He has started all 27 games at point guard this season, and scored 22 points at Michigan on Feb. 5. Ohio State is 9-6 when he has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, and was Georgia’s Player of the Year in 2022.
Why Penn State can cover
Senior guard Jalen Pickett has been red hot. The reigning National and Big Ten Conference Player of the Week scored 73 points and dished out 16 assists in the last two games. Pickett leads Penn State in scoring (18.6 points), rebounds (7.4) and assists (7.0), and is the only player in the country averaging 18 points and seven rebounds and assists. He is also connecting on 52.3% of his field goals, including 37.8% from 3-point range, and 80.3% from the foul line.
Also boosting the Lions is senior guard Seth Lundy. He is averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, and is hitting on 48.2% of his field goals, including 44.1% of his 3-pointers, and 79.7% of his free throws. Lundy has reached double-figure scoring in eight of his last nine games. He scored a season-high 25 points in an 85-66 win over Indiana on Jan. 11.
How to make Penn State vs. Ohio State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 146 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio State vs. Penn State? And which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
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