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Ohio State basketball vs. Wisconsin: Preview, best bets

By Ryan Stano

Jan 28, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) dribbles the ball while Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson (25) defends in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (1) dribbles the ball while Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson (25) defends in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Ohio State basketball team is back in action today at 7 pm as they take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Neither team is playing well heading into this matchup. Wisconsin has lost six of its last seven games while the Buckeyes have lost seven of their last nine.

These are two of the worst teams in the Big Ten. Ohio State stands at 12th in the standings while Wisconsin is just above them in 11th. Neither team has a great shot to make the NCAA Tournament, although Wisconsin has a better chance in my opinion.

There’s just not a lot to like about the way the Ohio State basketball team is playing right now. They don’t do anything particularly well. The half-court offense is a mess, the effort on defense is hit-or-miss, and they still can’t handle a simple press. It’s a big mess right now.

Ohio State basketball vs. Wisconsin: Best bets

If you do decide to wager on this game, good luck to you. This is a game that frustrates me because anything can happen. According to FanDuel, the Buckeyes sit at 7.5-point favorites. That spread is WAY too high. Give me the points. Even if Ohio State does win, it won’t be by that many.

The over/under sits at 131.5. That seems high also. Ohio State has scored more than 70 just once in their last six games. Wisconsin hasn’t scored 70 in their last 8. There’s no way that total reaches 132, so give me the under. It’s going to be a low-scoring affair.

Another fun bet I like is for Wisconsin to score first. That sits at +106 odds right now. I think they get a bucket on their first offensive possession right off the tip. Ohio State doesn’t come out with any juice in this game and will probably start off slowly.

Prediction: Ohio State basketball 65 Wisconsin 69

Ohio State had about as bad of a January as you can have. They come into this game with no momentum and no good vibes at all. Even though it’s at home, I have no faith in this team to win games right now. The Badgers still have postseason hopes to play for. That ship has sailed for the Buckeyes.

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I hope I’m wrong and I’ll be watching. The game can be found on Fox Sports 1 tonight at 7 pm.

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