The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines will meet up on Saturday in Indianapolis in the first of two semifinal games in the Big Ten Tournament. Fifth-seeded Ohio State upset fourth-seeded Purdue in the quarterfinal round, while the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines held off the eighth-seeded Maryland Terrapins.
Ohio State improved to 20-8 on the season with the win over Purdue, but it also blew a huge halftime lead in the process. The Buckeyes had lost four straight entering Friday but will have some momentum heading into Saturday.
Michigan won the regular-season title in the Big Ten Conference, and it has lost just three games the entire season. The Wolverines showed some rust early on Friday, but they are able to take it to another gear.
Fatigue Could Affect Buckeyes
The Buckeyes were forced into overtime by Purdue on Friday night, and that extra playing time could affect the Buckeyes in this game. There isn’t a ton of depth on this roster, especially when it comes to the offensive end of the floor.
Forward E.J. Liddell leads the way for Ohio State, averaging 16 points per game, and he could be a tough man to stop on Saturday afternoon. Kyle Young hit three early three-point shots in the win over Purdue but suffered a blow to the head that forced him from the game. His availability for this one is uncertain.
Ohio State scored 87 points in the first meeting with Michigan, but it also allowed 92. The Buckeyes must play better defense this time around.
Michigan Must Make Shots
If Michigan is going to march on to the Big Ten title game, then it is going to have to shoot it well. The Wolverines are shooting 39 percent from deep this season, but they struggled in the first half on Friday.
Freshman center Hunter Dickinson leads the team with 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, and he can simply take over at any time. Franz Wagner gives Michigan scoring on the perimeter, and that will be needed more with the news that Isaiah Livers is out with a foot injury.
The Wolverines are holding opponents to just 65 points per game, and that defense will play a factor in this matchup as well. Michigan has plenty of size, and it makes things hard on opponents.
Wolverines Win Tight Game
The first meeting of the season was a back-and-forth affair for all 40 minutes, and this one should go the same way. Michigan and Ohio State are bitter rivals, and there will be a lot of bad-blood out on the floor in Indianapolis.
This has the potential to be a high-scoring affair as both teams can score close to 80 points per game. Defense will likely be the difference in the end, and that is where Michigan has a slight advantage.
Michigan is the better team overall, and it will find a way to pick up a win and advance to the Big Ten Tournament Final. Ohio State will push the Wolverines the entire way, and this game is going down to the wire.
Bet the Ohio State Buckeyes to cover in this matchup with the Michigan Wolverines.
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