Nebraska vs. Ohio State Betting Line
Carrie Stroup here with your Nebraska vs. Ohio State betting line
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (13-14) at OHIO ST BUCKEYES (19-8)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Ohio State -13.5, Total: 125.5
After being embarrassed at home on Sunday, Nebraska visits Ohio State trying to end a five game skid.
It was only a year ago that Nebraska was the surprise team in the conference, as they picked up their first NCAA berth since 1998. A season built on hope, with leaders returning, has turned into disaster for the Cornhuskers, as they hit a new low in a 28-point home loss to Iowa on Sunday. Following the game, Coach Tim Miles banned his players from all the amenities of Nebraska’s new facilities and from speaking to the media as Nebraska is 1-7 SU (2-6 ATS) in their last 8 games. Furthermore, they haven’t won a conference game on the road all season (0-8 SU, 2-6 ATS).
Coach Thad Matta’s host Buckeyes are also not playing their best ball of the season, having lost their last two (at Michigan State, at Michigan). The most recent loss to Michigan on Sunday, 64-57, was highlighted by sloppy play (9:14 A:TO ratio), and a first half that saw Ohio State fall 16 points down, rendering them unable to come all the way back for the road win. The Buckeyes return home to the friendly confines of Value City Arena where they are undefeated since the calendar flipped to 2015 (5-0 SU, 5-0 ATS), with their lone conference home loss coming in late December to Iowa.
Historically, since Nebraska joined the Big Ten (2011) Ohio State has dominated this matchup, going 7-1 SU (5-3 ATS), and 3-0 in Value City Arena. The most recent game between these two teams was in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, where Ohio State rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit to win. Nebraska’s lone win in this series was at home last season in late January, when they defeated the then No. 17 Buckeyes 68-62.
Nebraska’s outlook for this contest, and the rest of the season, is shockingly dim, as Coach Miles realized that his players needed a wake-up call with the facilities and media ban after the home loss to Iowa. The Cornhuskers are big underdogs in Columbus, and are 1-7 SU (1-5-1 ATS) as road underdogs this season.
At the root of their issues all season is putting the ball in the basket (61.7 PPG, 13th in Big Ten, 306th in NCAA). Nebraska is even worse on the road (55.2 PPG). Considering the Cornhuskers boast two of the conferences better offensive players in F Terran Petteway (18.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.9 APG) and G Shavon Shields (15.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 45% FG), Nebraska’s offensive issues become that much more mysterious. The fact of the matter is that they don’t have anything close to a third reliable offensive option and are hoping F Walter Pitchford (7.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 threes/game) can fill that role.
Pitchford likes to roam the perimeter, and has pitched in double-digit scoring in three straight games, after only going above 10 points once in his previous 12 conference games. After Pitchford, though, no Cornhusker has scored in double figures in any of Nebraska’s last five losses, and only one player (F Tarin Smith – 4.3 PPG) has scored more than five points in a game in that span. Besides the rare outburst from deep (10 threes at Maryland), the Cornhuskers have been awful from three (27% 3PT, 14th in Big Ten, 343rd in NCAA) in conference play. Nebraska relies on its slow pace and defense (62 PPG allowed, 5th Big in Ten, 69th in NCAA) to keep games close, in hopes that Petteway or Shields can make big pressure shots down the stretch. That said, their field goal defense (50% versus Iowa, 47% at Maryland) in recent games hasn’t been fearsome at all.
As star freshman G D’Angelo Russell (19 PPG, 5.4 APG, 5.8 APG) has gone this season, so goes Ohio State. Russell struggled in the state of Michigan the past two weekends, only averaging 13 points on 36% FG. Russell also committed more turnovers than assists (2:5 A:TO) at Michigan for the first time since early January. F Sam Thompson (10.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and F Jae’Sean Tate (8.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG) both shoot it well from the field (49% for Thompson, 58% for Tate) and both boast double-figure scoring potential nightly, they just need more opportunities to score.
The biggest mystery with the Buckeye offense is the disappearance of senior G Shannon Scott (7.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 SPG). Scott is a pure point guard who’s been forced to play off the ball for long stretches as Matta funnels his offense through Russell. Not a knockdown shooter, this has forced Scott into some major struggles on offense in the past month (5.7 PPG, 3.8 APG, 32% FG, 22% 3PT in last six games).
F Marc Loving (10.9 PPG) had started for most of the season, but is working his way back slowly into the rotation after a recent suspension and has been a non-factor in the past two contests (4 points in 17 minutes versus Michigan). If exciting freshman F Keita Bates-Diop (4.5 PPG, 0.8 BPG) can continue impressing in limited minutes (12 points in 19 minutes at Michigan) he could provide Matta with another dimension on both ends of the floor with his length, versatility, and potential.
If Ohio State can glean anything from Iowa’s victory over Nebraska, it’s that the Cornhuskers aren’t playing great defense at the moment. As long as the Buckeyes can control the pace, their 49.7% FG (1st in Big Ten, 5th in NCAA) would seem to indicate that their offensive woes should come to an end now that they’re back in Columbus versus a very vulnerable opponent.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
