Ohio State vs. Auburn prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/13/2024 04:54 PM
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Auburn Tigers meet in Atlanta for the Holiday Hoopsgiving. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ohio State-Auburn prediction and pick.
The Buckeyes are coming off a huge win at home against Rutgers, 80-66. Devin Royal played the game of his life when he scored his career-high 22 points in the win. He scored 16 in the second half to help keep the lead. The Buckeyes are now 6-3 on the season and will take on Auburn on Saturday, followed by Kentucky in a week for the HBCU Showcase. Ohio State will resume conference play in January.
Auburn is rolling this season. Their only loss came in the SEC/ACC Challenge when Duke defeated the Tigers, led by Cooper Flagg. The Tigers are now the No. 2 team in the country with one of the top players in the country. Johni Broome is currently the FanDuel favorite for the John Wooden Award.
Here are the Ohio State-Auburn College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-Auburn Odds
Ohio State: +11.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +420
Auburn: -11.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -580
Over: 152.5 (-110)
Under: 152.5 (-110)
How to Watch Ohio State vs. Auburn
Time: 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT
TV: ESPN2
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Ohio State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Ohio State can cover this spread if they continue to shoot the three-ball well. The Buckeyes contain four players (with at least nine minutes per game) who average north of 53% from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes’ top scorer, Bruce Thornton, averages 16.2 points per game and shoots 53.1% from beyond the arc and 56% overall. John Mobley Jr. is third on the team, scoring at 12.9 per game and shooting 55.6% from deep. Ques Glover and Colin White come off the bench and shoot over 60% from deep. If those four can connect with a few treys, then the Buckeyes will keep this game close.
Micah Parrish is a key veteran for this team. The senior transfer from San Diego State has experience playing in a national championship game as well as a Sweet Sixteen last season. He’s an elite defender who can pull up and shoot and can be a spot-up shooter as well. He’s at his best when he defends and attacks the basket in transition. He averages 1.1 steals, 10.2 points, and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Auburn is one of the top offensive teams in the country. Ohio State will need their defensive efforts to step up as well. Holding Rutgers to 66 points last game is a good sign.
Why Auburn Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Tigers are 11th in the country in scoring at 87 points per game. They also shoot at a very high rate of 51.1% which is tied for 5th in the country. Led by Broome, the Tigers have four players who average double digits in scoring. Broome averages 19.6 points. and 11.9 rebounds per game. Chad Baker-Mazara is second at 13.1 per game and grabs 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Against Duke in their only loss of the season, they got out-played by the Blue Devils in a lot of categories. The Blue Devils had 16 points in transition to Auburn’s zero. Furthermore, Duke had 13 points off turnovers to the Tigers one. It may not seem like it, but that makes a huge difference in close games. Auburn had eight turnovers to Duke’s four and they committed 20 fouls. As a result, Duke went to the line 27 times. The Tigers must force more than four turnovers in a game if they want to beat the really good teams.
Final Ohio State-Auburn Prediction & Pick
Ohio State is playing well this year. They have wins over No. 19 Texas and a rising Rutgers team. However, they have not faced a team like Auburn this year and I expect them to allow a lot of points on a neutral court. Leb by Broome, the Tigers will cover this spread and the Over will hit as well.
Final Ohio State-Auburn Prediction & Pick: Auburn -11.5 (-102), Over 152.5 (-110)
The post Ohio State vs. Auburn prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
