— Sunday, January 30th Ohio State Buckeyes @ Purdue Boilermakers
The Big 10 takes center stage this weekend as two of the best teams in the league, if not the country, square off. Ohio State has quietly sneaked back into the top 25, and its track record demonstrates that it is well-deserving of the honor.
The Buckeyes have three victories against ranked opponents, the most notable of which was an upset of top-ranked Duke. They’ll have another chance to add to that list now, but it won’t be easy.
The Buckeyes face a Purdue team that has all of the components to make a deep run into March, but some recent upsets have forced the public to doubt the Boilermakers’ chances. They approach this meeting, though, having bounced back from a defeat to Indiana with two outstanding offensive performances.
Is Purdue able to maintain its momentum? Will the Buckeyes be able to defeat another ranked team?
A Look at Ohio State
Ohio State’s offense has been one of the best all-around offenses in the country, and it will have a chance to show it today. The Buckeyes rank 13th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 11th in effective field goal percentage in the country.
When you put that against a Boilermaker team that is in the middle of the pack in every defensive category, and we’ve seen their on-ball defense be terrible at times, it’s clear that the Buckeyes will be able to score.
E.J. Liddell, the Ohio State big man, came into the season with high expectations and has well exceeded them thus far. Liddell has been a double-double machine, averaging over eight rebounds and over 19 points every game. However, he has made significant progress in all aspects of his game, not just the counting metrics.
A Look at Purdue
Purdue will have a large advantage on the boards, as they do in every meeting. On both ends of the court, the Boilermakers are in the top 20 in rebounding, while the Buckeyes are in the 120s. While the big guys are the focal point of Purdue’s offense, it would be remiss not to recognize Jaden Ivey’s importance on the court.
Because the Buckeyes have so many other things to worry about, his range and ability to pull up off the dribble may be difficult to stop.
Not only are Zach Edey and Trevion Willams effective attacking weapons, but they also aid their team by generating foul problems. We’ve seen players like Kofi Cockburn and Trayce Jackson-Davis struggle to guard them and end up hurting themselves as a result. It will be difficult for Liddell to remain in the game if Purdue can get into their offensive setups and enable their big guys to acquire position on the low block.
Ohio State vs Purdue Betting Pick
With each club possessing a variety of offensive advantages, there is a case to be made for both sides of this spread. E.J. Liddell, on the other hand, is the game’s X-factor. The game will be decided by how he plays on both sides of the floor since the Ohio State offense would be terrible without him.
Despite this, I think that Liddell and the Buckeyes cover the spread in this game. Ohio State is deserving of a higher ranking and should not be a double-digit underdog. Furthermore, you should not put your faith in this Boilermakers’ defense against any offensive that is better than ordinary.
Take Ohio State +10.5.
For more NCAAB betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.